By NAN

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has advised Nigerians to disregard conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines and the various rumours being attributed to them.

Director-General of NOA, Garba Abari, gave the advice in a statement, made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

Abari, while responding to insinuations of the possible use of the vaccines as population control and DNA altering measure, debunked the idea.

He said that no vaccine would be allowed into Nigeria or administered to Nigerians without the approval of appropriate authorities.

“Whatever vaccine coming into the country must be thoroughly tested and approved by relevant Nigerian authorities,’’ he said.

He said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as the agency responsible for certifying medications for use in Nigeria and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), responsible for the administration of vaccines, would never allow such.

Abari further said that the COVID-19 vaccines were the products of rigorous research by global reputable companies that produced many of the vaccines used against several other diseases across the world, including Nigeria.

He added that the COVID-19 vaccines had been subjected to standard tests and certified safe by the World Health Organisation.

Abari described as unfortunate, the narratives being put out by some leaders in the country, alleging that the vaccines had ulterior motives.

He urged political, religious and traditional leaders to be cautious with their utterances and be guided by reliable and verifiable knowledge base rather than assumptions to avoid misguiding their followers.

He advised Nigerians to make themselves available for COVID-19 vaccination whenever the vaccines are available in the country.

According to him, the vaccine will be administered by the NPHCDA after NAFDAC approval, and as such, there is no cause for apprehension.

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