Second Wave: COVID-19 Vaccines Must Undergo Clinical Trials Before Administering To Nigerians- NMA

In the heat of the second wave of the coronavirus, Innocent Ujah, the President Of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has revealed that the COVID-19 vaccines must undergo a quick clinical trial before it is administered to Nigerians.

Explaining why the vaccines will have to go through clinical trials while appearing on a program on Channels TV, Ujah said that reaction to vaccines will differ amongst different races.

READ ALSO: Compliance With COVID-19 Protocols In Nigeria Is A Challenge - NMA President

“If the vaccines come to Nigeria, we need to quickly do our own evaluation of that vaccine, I cannot say with 100 percent certainty that in the process of developing this vaccine, in the clinical trials, whether any African countries were involved. I’m not too sure, but it’s possible.

“Then because of the biology, because of the environment, because of our genetic composition, we need to do our own clinical trials very quickly before it can be used on Nigerians. While we do not question the efficacy and safety, the responses vary from place to place.

“Recall that when we were using chloroquine, the southern part was not responding to chloroquine, some parts of the north were. But in totality it was thought that chloroquine were no longer effective and we changed. 

“We don’t want anybody to die in the service of their country, That’s why we talk about infection prevention and control. And we believe that working with the federal government, the PTF, and the Ministry of Health, we need to continually train our health workers doctors, nurses and anyone who has anything to do with patients on infection prevention and control," Ujah said.

Recall that NMA revealed that more than 20 doctors have died of COVID-19, in the heat of the second wave of the virus.

Earlier today, Ujah decried the low compliance level of Nigerians to COVID-19 protocols, He further stressed the need for compliance with COVID-19 protocols outlined by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), stating that compliance has been a challenge.