As a further demonstration of the efficacy and safety of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines, members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 on Monday received jabs of the vaccines.
The team received the jabs during their weekly national briefing. The PTF team includes the Chairman, Boss Mustapha; Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Environment, Muhammad Mahmood; Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora; Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu; Minister of foreign affairs Geoffrey Onyeoma, and the National Incident Manager (NIM) PTF, Mukhtar Muhammad, among others.
Before receiving the jab, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha told reporters, “Today, Monday, 8th March, 2021, I will lead all members of the PTF to receive the first doses of the vaccine as a further demonstration of the safety and efficacy.
“Also, our journalists who are critical front-liners in this fight will receive the vaccine in a representative manner,” he said.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also received jabs of the COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday to drive vaccine acceptance.
The PTF was established by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 9, 2020, to coordinate and oversee the country’s multi-sectoral inter-governmental efforts to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.
Earlier on Monday, the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari and Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, also received the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, at the State House Clinic, Abuja.
The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Buba Marwa, and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, also received the vaccine at the clinic.
