06072021 - We must okay FG's security operations in our states- Southern Govs

Vanguard, TUESDAY, JULY 6 , 2021 — 25
COVID-19 vaccines are efficacious,
safe, health experts insist
.Dismiss claims of magnetism from vaccination as false, unscientific
By Sola Ogundipe and
Chioma Obinna
THE social media has
been awash with series
of videos and negative
reports about the lifesaving
COVID-19
vaccines. Although
research has found that the
vaccines are safe, these
videos and reports have
continued to discredit the
efficacy and safety of the
different vaccines.
These videos have
added to the existing
conspiracy theories about
COVID-19 pandemic.
Sadly these have promoted
vaccine heisitancy in
different parts of the world.
For instance, shortly after
researchers came up with
the first set of vaccines,
there were reports about
some of the vaccines
causing blood clots in
humans.
In some other instances,
it was being rumoured
that the vaccine would
change the recipient's
DNA, or cause death
within two years.
Governments across the
world continue to address
the earlier doubts raised by
side effects of the vaccines
as well as ensure more
doses are available and
that the citizens keep to the
safety and prevention
protocols in order to
achieve herd immunity in
their domains.
However, these doubts
are now threatening to
reduce the mileage in the
fight already covered
against the pandemic.
In some of the videos,
the makers claimed that
taking the jab will cause an
electric bulb to light up or
make the recipient to
become magnetic at the site
of injection.
Also, there are numerous
pictures and videos on
social media platforms of
people with metallic
objects stuck to their arms
and bodies following
claims that they received
the COVID-19 vaccine.
In one particular video,
a man claimed that his
cellphone became stuck to
his arm at the vaccination
site after he received the
jab at a centre in Lagos.
In yet another viral video,
another man claimed that
an electric bulb was
lighting up at the site of
vaccination on his arm.
However, in Nigeria
today, due to lack of trust
in government,
particularly in theuir
handling of the pandemic,
many eligible people who
would have taken the
Table by Gabriel Olawale
vaccine are now reluctant
and also discouraging
others. But public health
experts say the stories of
magnetisation among
others as a result of
vaccination are false and
baseless.
Public health
experts react:
Speaking to Good
Health Weekly on the
unverified claims, the
medical experts dismissed
their claims, saying the
claimants have no
scientific proof.
According to them,
COVID-19 vaccine has no
microchips that are
injected into the recipient's
body along with the
vaccine.
According to the Centres
for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC),
receiving a COVID-19
vaccine will not make the
recepient magnetic,
including at the site of
vaccination, which is
usually the arm.
Under its "Myths and
Facts about COVID-19
Vaccines," the CDC
explains that COVID-19
vaccines do not contain
ingredients that can
produce
an
electromagnetic field at the
site of injection
The fact sheet explains
that “all COVID-19
vaccines are free from
metals like iron, nickel,
cobalt, lithium, and rare
earth alloys, as well as any
manufactured products
such as microelectronics,
electrodes, carbon
nanotubes, and nanowire
semiconductors”.
It said: “In addition, the
typical dose for a COVID-
19 vaccine is less than a
milliliter, which is not
enough to allow magnets
to be attracted to your
vaccination site even if the
vaccine was filled with a
magnetic metal."
In a chat with Good
Health Weekly, a Professor
of Virologist, Prof Oyewale
Tomori, described the
claims as outright fake
news and ridiculous lies
that have been scientifically
shown not to be true.
Tomori who cited that
millions of people around
the world including
himself, have taken the
vaccines, declared that they
are safe. “I hear China
vaccinated 30 million
people a day,” he said.
On his part, former Chief
Medical Director, Lagos
University Teaching
Hospital, LUTH, Prof Akin
Osibogun said the various
claims by individuals have
no scientific basis.
“The stories about
magnets and bulbs are not
worth spending time on as
they have no scientific
basis. They look more like
pranks or Antivaxx
disinformation efforts.
“The vaccines appear to
be generally safe based on
our experience with the
AstraZeneca vaccine,” he
added.
Also in a report, an
infectious disease expert
and senior scholar at the
Johns Hopkins Centre for
Health Security, Dr Amesh
A. Adalja said: "This is
stupid. This is completely
made up.There is no new
magnetic capacity
conferred by being
vaccinated."
Popular vaccines
Among the COVID-19
vaccines are Pfizer
BioNtech vaccine which
has been shown to be 95
percent effective at
preventing symptomatic
COVID-19, using genetic
material called mRNA.
Also, the AstraZeneca-
Oxford vaccine, which
comes in a multidose vial,
does not need to be
diluted and it is said to be
a clear to slightly brown
colour.
According to studies, its
efficacy ranges between 62
and 90 percent, depending
on dosage amount and
time between doses.
Lagos lost 14 health professionals
to COVID-19 — ABAYOMI
... As GE, Sterling, LASG, 27 others
honoured with NHEA Awards
By Chioma Obinna
THIRTY individuals and
institutions were last
week honoured with the
Nigerian Healthcare
Excellence Award, NHEA
even as the Lagos State
Commissioner for Health,
Prof Akin Abayomi said the
state lost 14 health
professionals to COVID-
19.
Among the awardees
were Smile Train, GE,
Sterling Bank, Lagos State
Government, JNCI,
Federal Medical Centre,
Ebute Metta; St. Nicholas
Hospital, The Bridge
Clinic, Vanguard
Pharmacy, and DCL
Laboratory, among others.
Speaking at the event
tagged: “Celebrating Our
Healthcare Heroes, while
Lagos state commissioner
for health, Prof Akin
Abayomi who represented
the State governor,
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said:
“During the battle of
COVID-19, we lost 14 of
our health professionals –
12 doctors and two nurses.
“Due to people still
dying of COVID-19
around the world, we
implored the third wave
committee to stop Lagos
State from going to third
wave. The team is to make
sure that we can carry on
with our economic
livelihood in the centre of
excellence.
“We have a policy not to
receive any award on
COVID-19 because the
disease still exists, but
today we are here to
acknowledge some of the
bravery of all the health
front line workers.”
It was a double honours
for Lagos State as the state
emerged as the most
responsive COVID-19
State Government of the
Year, while the state’s
Commissioner of Health,
Prof. Akin Abayomi, was
celebrated as the Most
Outstanding COVID-19
State
Health
Commissioner of the Year
at the event.
Abayomi, while
receiving the ward hailed
all health workers in Lagos
State, saying the awards
were dedicated to the
healthcare practitioners
who were committed to
their work since the
outbreak of the pandemic.
Speaking at the event
well attended by different
personalities across the
country, the Chairman,
NHEA Advisory Board, Dr.
Anthony Omolola, said
they were proud of the
2021 awardees and how
they have demonstrated
excellence in the past year
despite the challenges of
COVID-19.
He recalled that NHEA
had in March 2021, called
for nominations which
lasted for two months and
received over 20,000
nominations and the
NHEA Jury shortlisted
over 100 nominees made
up of organisations and
individuals both from the
public and private sectors
for voting.
“The juries made a
shortlist based on
published criteria for each
set of awards for online
voting on the NHEA voting
portal. We also evaluated
claims of nominees
simultaneously across the
country. In a bid to
continuously improve our
current process to meet
international best practice,
there was tremendous use
of technology with
improved
features.”
COVID-19: What you should know about
Delta variant
THE Delta variant is a
more contagious
variant of the COVID-19
virus that is spreading
around the world,
causing a surge of cases
and prompting new
lockdowns in some
countries.
According to the World
Health Organisation, the
delta variant, which was
first identified in India,
now accounts for most
new COVID-19 cases in
the US, parts of Europe
and Asia and is on track
to become the dominant
version of the virus.
Why it is a concern
The Delta variant is a
variant of concern because
it is more transmissible,
causes more severe illness
and reduces the
effectiveness of vaccines or
treatments.
Officially known as
B.1.617.2, the Delta
variant is the most
contagious of all the
known variants to date,
including the highly
transmissible alpha variant
that was first identified in
Britain.
It is said to be up to 60
percent
more
transmissible than the
alpha variant.
What is the "delta plus"
variant?
A mutations of the Delta
virus is dubbed “Delta
plus.” While it has not yet
been designated a variant
of concern cases involving
Delta plus have been
reported in some
countries, even as
investigations continue
regarding whether it
security
carries additional risks or
is associated with
increased transmissibility.
There are indications
that the delta variant may
cause more severe
disease.
Where is it spreading?
The Delta variant has
been reported in more
than 98 countries,
including the US, UK,
South Africa, Uganda and
Ghana, among others.
The variant is fueling new
outbreaks around the
world.
Are vaccines effective
against this variant?
Available vaccines
appear to offer good
protection and most
scientists agree that fully
vaccinated individuals
likely face little risk.
Continues on Wednesday