The World Health Organization has officially declared a fresh outbreak of Coronavirus disease in Benue State, revealing a total of 25 newly confirmed cases.
The announcement came during a one-day engagement meeting on COVID-19 Ramp-up in Makurdi.
The WHO Surveillance Officer for Benue State, Ogechukwu Chigbo, stressed the importance of vaccination, emphasizing that the virus remains prevalent.
Chigbo urged people to take advantage of the available vaccines to protect themselves and debunked negative rumors surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The problem is that there are a lot of negative rumors about COVID-19 vaccine. There is a need to ensure that everybody gets vaccinated because this is the period that we record outbreaks. And the reason why people are not coming down with the virus is because of the vaccine,” Chigbo stated.
While highlighting the availability of vaccines and the global effort to integrate COVID-19 vaccination into routine immunization, Chigbo encouraged individuals aged 18 and above to get vaccinated.
The Johnson and Johnson vaccine, administered just once, is among the vaccines available in all health facilities providing routine immunization, and it is offered free of charge.
Chigbo also warned against misinformation and the compelling of mothers to pay for vaccines that should be administered at no cost. “Communities must know that vaccines are free and must not be paid for any reason,” she emphasized.
