NAFDAC says vaccines promote health, save lives, costs

Vaccines, according to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), promote health, save lives, and are inexpensive.

Prof. Christianah Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, stated this on Thursday at the virtual 11th Annual Symposium of the Health Writers Association of Nigeria (HEWAN).

The symposium’s theme was “Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines,” with a sub-theme of “Addressing COVID-19 Hesitancy – The Role of the Media.”

Vaccines, according to Adeyeye, who was represented by Dr Monica Eimunjeze, Director, Drug Registration and Regulatory Affairs, NAFDAC, are biological preparations made from living organisms to boost immunity against diseases.

She stated that vaccines have the potential to eradicate diseases, citing the fact that immunization has eradicated smallpox and reduced wild polio by more than 99 percent.

According to her, global vaccine coverage stands at 86%.

“Vaccines promote health, have a broad reach, have a rapid impact, and save lives and money.”

“Vaccines prevent more than 2.5 million child deaths worldwide each year; vaccination is one of the greatest public health achievements in human history,” she said.

While assuring Nigerians of the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines, Adeyeye stated that the agency would continue to monitor the exercise as a regulatory body.

“The issue of safety and efficacy is critical to vaccine production; it also necessitates the involvement of experts, and vaccines are not deployed without NAFDAC approval.”

“The agency has regulatory control over vaccines because it oversees and approves clinical trials, facility inspections, licensing, testing, and post-marketing surveillance.”

“As a result, the COVID-19 vaccines are safe,” Adeyeye concluded.

Prof. Akin Osibogun, former Chief Medical Director of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, also spoke, stating that it was the responsibility of health writers to raise awareness and dispel myths about COVID-19 vaccines.

“We conducted research across the country to look for side effects of the vaccination, and we followed them up for about three to four months.”

“I am pleased to report that none of them died or were hospitalized.”

“The COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and the media must report on this in order to reduce vaccination apathy in the country,” he charged.

Dr. David Ikudayisi, a physician, urged Nigerians to embrace regenerative medicine for better health and a reduction in medical tourism in his presentation titled “Regenerative Medicine, Benefits of Adult Stem Cell Therapy.”

“Regenerative Medicine is a game-changing field of medicine that has the potential to completely heal damaged tissues and organs in the body.”

“Adult Stem Cell Therapy, a component of regenerative medicine, can effectively treat Autism, Diabetes, Hypertension, Stroke, Cerebral Palsy, Erectile Dysfunction, Female Infertility, Osteoarthritis, and Chronic Joint Pain, among other conditions.”

“I urged Nigerians, particularly the elite, who spend millions of dollars on overseas treatment each year, to embrace regenerative medicine for better health and a reduction in medical tourism,” Ikudayisi said.