Professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori, has said government officials should be among the first to take the COVID-19 vaccines when they arrive in Nigeria.
Tomori said such a move would convince Nigerians about the safety of the vaccines which are expected to arrive on Monday.
He said this while speaking in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday.
“Let’s see some of those government people take thee vaccines and then we’ll watch them and see whether they survive or they don’t survive. Then gradually, we begin to build up people’s immunity,” he said.
“But tell me to go and get the vaccine and then you are taking your own children to Dubai to go and take another vaccine, of course, I will not believe in you.
“Do it openly at the Eagles Square. Get the big people there, the legislature, whatever, then we’ll convince our people that it is safe to take.”
Tomori said once the leaders have been vaccinated, people will start to have confidence in the vaccines.
“It is a gradual thing, over time people will now begin to say these guys that have gotten it did not die, did not fall sick, therefore I can go there and take it. That’s what we need to do. Leadership in this country has to come from the top,” he said.
He added, “Apart from the health workers, we need to get our leaders to come out there openly and take this vaccine. I would be one of the ones to go there and get the vaccine.”
