COVID-19: Nigeria dangerous until everyone is vaccinated – FG

Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has stressed the critical need for COVID-19 vaccines for the safety of Nigerians.

During a sensitisation meeting with leaders of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Mustapha said nobody is safe from being infected with COVID-19 until everyone is vaccinated.

Mustapha, who is the chairman of the presidential task force on COVID-19, urged religious bodies to enlighten their members on the benefits and efficacy of vaccines against the pandemic.

He said, “The COVID-19 pandemic is the most significant global public health emergency of our generation.

“Humanity has been under the siege of this virus since 30th of January, 2020 (exactly one year ago) when the WHO declared it as such. It has taken lives, consumed trillions of dollars and other resources without abating. Today, global infections have exceeded one hundred million while fatalities have also crossed the two million mark.

“As a nation, our national response has been very robust with significant positive results because we deployed non-pharmaceutical interventions, testing, detection and treatment as a strategy. For risk communication, the PTF mounted its outreach using several channels including the faith based organisations such as the CAN.

“Unfortunately, Nigeria, like the rest of the world, is now experiencing a more virulent second wave which has increased the number of COVID-19 related deaths from 1173 on November 29 2020 to 1,578 on January 31, 2021. An increase of 34 per cent.

“The arrival of vaccines has however given hope to humanity that a solution had been found. This does not however mean that the NPIs would be discarded. Going forward it shall be NPIs + vaccines for everyone to completely get over the pandemic.