COVID-19 Vaccines Will Not Be Available Until Next Year – FG

The Federal Government has cautioned Nigerians to be careful during this COVID-19 pandemic era, adding that vaccines will not be available until 2021.

Speaking during a briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Thursday in Abuja, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, asked the citizens to adhere to the non-pharmaceutical interventions.

“Vaccines will not be available until next year at best. No reliable therapeutics has been confirmed but our country must restart businesses, including travel to allow citizens to earn their livelihood,” he said.

He also appealed to Nigerians to adhere to the protocols aimed at reducing the spread of the virus in the country.

“Compliance with all the recommended measures like wearing your masks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings etc will go a long way to help.”

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Speaking further, the Minister again appealed to the striking health workers to call off their industrial actions.

According to him, the best way to settle industrial disputes is to come to the negotiation table with the Federal Government.

“I also use this opportunity to renew my calls to members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) to put the plight, safety and well-being of their patients into consideration and to call off the ongoing strike while the differences are being addressed by negotiations.

“It is important to remind ourselves that COVID-19 is real and spreading gradually in some parts of the world as we speak.

“It is risky to believe that it is going away even though it looks as if the figures are reducing here. Some countries are experiencing the so-called second waves with all the complications that go along with this easily spreading disease,” he said.