The Federal Government, yesterday, exonerated the military from allegations of vaccination and injection of monkey pox virus on citizens in the South-East and South-South regions of the country.
The Federal Government also announced at yesterday’s Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting, that there were 74 suspected cases of monkey pox across 11 states of the federation, stressing that the only confirmed cases were those recorded in Bayelsa State.
Government’s statement came on a day Nigerian Army Headquarters, 2 Brigade, Akwa Ibom State and the state police command advised parents not to panic over rumour of killer vaccines, which had been making the rounds in some parts of the country, especially the South-East and South-South.
The clarifications came against the backdrop of the panic that had hit states in the South-East, South-South and Ondo State, which culminated in parents withdrawing their children and wards from schools.
Briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting, Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole said the military is not involved in any vaccination as being rumoured, adding that the government had embarked on an advance test at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Infectious Disease to really understand the genomes of the monkey pox virus.
He said: “Council received an update on the state of public health of the nation. We informed Council about the latest development, with respect to the Monkey Pox virus outbreak. So far, there are 74 suspected cases in 11 states of the country.
“We have confirmed three in Bayelsa State, and 12 of the suspected cases in Bayelsa tested negative; four suspected cases from Lagos tested negative. We are still expecting results of the other ones.
“We are also doing advance test at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics and Infectious Disease to really understand the genomes of this virus. Even when they are negative, the laboratory attendants should be able to tell us what exactly they are.
‘’We will also be able to locate and identify the origin so that we can take adequate precautions.”
On allegations of vaccination by the military, he said: “It is also important to use this opportunity to dispel rumours circulating in the country that the military is vaccinating people and trying to spread monkey pox virus across the country.
“The military is not involved in any vaccination and I must also really educate the Nigeria people about how vaccination campaigns are done. The Federal Government will take the lead but we do not conduct campaigns without working with states.
“So, there is no way we will do campaigns without working with the states and it is the states that will be in front and we provide support. The rumour that the Federal Government is doing (monkey pox) vaccination campaign is not true. And as of today, we are only doing vaccination campaign in three states.
“We are doing vaccination campaign against yellow fever in Kwara and Kogi states because of yellow fever outbreak in some parts of the country. We are also doing cholera vaccination in Borno State.
“So anybody carrying the rumour, please help us educate Nigerians that it is not true, we are not vaccinating anybody, we plan to do measles campaign very soon and we will also do yellow fever before the end of the year and we will let you know.
“You will never find federal staff conducting vaccination campaign without the support and active participation of the state ministry of health. This is just to correct the misconception.
“With respect to what the military is doing, I spoke about vaccination and not about military campaign. The military as part of a campaign of winning over the heart and soul of the people will get engaged in several things.
“In the past, the military was noted for even constructing roads; the military will do outreaches, measure blood pressure, talk to people, these are normal things.
“I referred only to vaccination. We had to request for the assistance of the military in Borno State to reach inaccessible areas, with respect to the polio campaign, so we have worked with the military in the past and we will continue to work with them.
“There are doctors in the military, there are nurses and when you go abroad, some of the best institutions abroad are those managed by the military. So we cannot disown the military. But what I want to put across is that the military is not involved in any vaccination.”
