‘The war is not over’ — SGF warns Nigerians as he receives COVID-19 vaccine

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has warned Nigerians that the war against COVID-19 is not yet over.

He urged the citizens not to allow conspiracy theories to prevent them from getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

On Tuesday, Nigeria received its first batch of 3.9 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Speaking on Monday after getting vaccinated in Abuja, Mustapha, who is the chairman of the presidential task force on COVID-19, said taking the vaccine will protect everyone against the virus.

He also warned the public against patronising unauthorised COVID-19 vaccine sellers.

“​Let me underscore at this point that in this war, we are all involved in this because nobody is safe until everybody is safe. Our ultimate objective is to vaccinate about 70 percent of our population which is about 200 million, between year 2021 and 2022,” the SGF said.

“​I wish to admonish Nigerians to remember that while vaccines offer great hope, it cannot on its own protect you completely. We must continue to observe the non-pharmaceutical measures earlier introduced. There is no doubt that their effectiveness will help to minimise the impact of the virus in Nigeria and our attitude must be NPIs + vaccines.

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“The initial strategy, therefore, shall be sustained because we must continue to prevent, detect, isolate and treat. The war against COVID-19 is by no means over.

“Finally, let me restate that Nigerians should never allow vaccine hesitancy propagated through conspiracy theories sway you from the path of doing the right thing. Taking the vaccine will protect you, your loved ones and the entire community.

“I similarly wish to warn against patronising unauthorised vaccine peddlers. The only recognised safe and efficacious vaccines are those coming through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). We should remain vigilant.”