Speaking with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, NAFDAC’s Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, told one of our correspondents that owing to the exigencies of COVID-19, there may be no reason to conduct a trial before administering the vaccines.

“Once the vaccine arrives, a sample will be taken to the lab for a test. Once its safety and efficacy are certified by NAFDAC, it will be administered on Nigerians. We don’t expect anything to be different though.

“The truth is that once a vaccine is approved by the WHO, it is assumed that it has passed through some preliminary stage of the trial. It is a known fact that for the WHO to sanction a vaccine, it must have gone through a series of trial here and there,” he said.

Although he said NAFDAC’s evaluation of the vaccine would not be rigorous mainly because it’s not a new vaccine, Akintola noted that its efficacy and safety needed to be ratified.

He stated, “It is just for ratification. There is nothing on drugs or vaccines you will do without the consent of WHO. It is also expected that the regulatory body in each country would do its work in tandem with the WHO standard.”

Experts call for clinical trial

Some virologists and infectious disease experts have disagreed with NAFDAC, insisting that there is a need to conduct a clinical trial on the vaccines in the country before administering it on Nigerians.

 A clinical trial, according to the WHO, is a type of research that studies new tests and treatments and evaluates their effects on human health outcomes.

It noted that people volunteer to take part in clinical trials to test medical interventions including drugs, cells and other biological products, surgical procedures, radiological procedures, devices, behavioural treatments and preventive care. The global health body noted that biomedical clinical trials entail four phases.

A medical virologist at the Adeleke University, Ede, Osun State, Dr Elijah Kolawole, said it would be safer to conduct a mini clinical trial to determine the efficacy of the vaccine before rushing to administer it on a population of over 206 million.

He said, “This is because there is no evidence to show the earlier trial conducted in Europe had African volunteers. There is something we need to understand. In terms of human genetics, African-Americans are different and cannot be used to represent Africans in a trial.

“They could be similar but they cannot be regarded as a proper representation of Africans. That’s why you see a lot of differences in the way we respond to treatments based on our genetic make-up.”

Also, a medical microbiologist at the Lagos State University, Prof Bola Oyefolu, said there was the need to conduct a clinical trial before administering the vaccines on Nigerians.

“Before any vaccine is given, there is a standard procedure for it. Before you can inject people with any vaccine, it must have gone through serious clinical trials, and when you look at the duration for that, it will take an average of three years.

“The clinical trial will prevent mortality; there is the need for more time to do a more open clinical trial to be sure that what we are giving to the people is safe”

Oyefolu also cautioned the Federal Government against procuring COVID-19 vaccines from abroad.

He said, “From the virological point of view, I don’t think Nigeria should go for the vaccines because everything is shrouded; it is not open. I’m just wondering why they are not doing clinical trials with their own people over there? Why must it be Africans? Are we guinea pigs? Unfortunately, most African leaders won’t look into the core of it; they will just go for the vaccines, maybe for the monetary gain.”

He added, “Once this vaccine is administered and it gives us a negative result, it can’t be reversed and that will be an indictment on the scientists in Africa.”

The Director-General, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Prof, Babatunde Salako, said although there was a need for a clinical trial, NAFDAC had the responsibility to determine if that was necessary or not.

He said, “The fear of those calling for a clinical trial is understandable. That the vaccines work for Caucasians does not mean it will work the same way for Africans. Therefore, there is a need to determine whether the vaccine is also efficacious here and safe for use on Nigerians.

“Having said that, the owners of the vaccines are the ones who will decide if they want the clinical trial. For us, we have a regulatory body like NAFDAC that may insist that efficacy and safety tests be done before Nigeria accepts to try it. If they don’t have that already, they may have to do it.”

The researcher, however, expressed reservation that the pressure being mounted on manufacturers of the vaccines in other countries may not make them agree to such demand.

“I doubt if they will agree because there are countries who are ready to buy and use them willingly without that kind of conditionality.

“For instance, when we met with the Russian representatives for their COVID-19 vaccine last year, we did ask if we can run a clinical trial on it in Nigeria. They were not willing to agree. According to them, it has been conducted in one or two African countries and they thought that Nigeria is unlikely to be different. They believed that the efficacy of the data they got (from the other African countries) should be extrapolated to the Nigerian situation.

“Again, if the country decides to grant an emergency use of the vaccine, it will only review the data they have for other populations. But under normal circumstances, countries’ regulatory agencies will request a clinical trial on efficacy and safety of the vaccine,” he said.

FG must prove COVID-19 vaccine will be safe for Nigerians – Virologist

The Director, Centre for Human and Zoonotic Virology at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Prof Sunday Omilabu, stressed the need for the Federal Government to ensure that the vaccines are safe for Nigerians before administering it on them.

In an interview with one of our correspondents on Saturday, Omilabu warned the Federal Government against rushing to administer the vaccines on Nigerians.

He said, “There are stages vaccines are taken through, which is called vaccine development. It doesn’t come to animals yet until it has been proven that the vaccine is safe for closely-related animals. However, the result of the clinical trial will not come out very early; it is not something we can rush into.

“There is a need for proof that the vaccine will be safe. The so-called emergency vaccine is never heard of, save for these ones we see them taking in Europe and America. Of course, they have their reasons for that, they have been seriously hit by the virus.

“They have reasons to look for anything that will stop it. But I’m not sure what they are doing now will do the magic. In our own case, the infectivity of the virus is not that much among Africans.

“The vaccine is dangerous now because we don’t know how it is going to behave in the long run. We can see a number of reactions from among those that have taken it. Those are the dangers of rushing into vaccines.”

Nigeria has no vaccine clinical trial site – Tomori

A renowned Professor of virology and former Vice-Chancellor, Redeemer’s University Nigeria, Oyewale Tomori, said the country does not have a site for vaccine clinical trial.

He said, “To the best of my knowledge, I don’t think we have any. What we usually do is to insist that any product, drug or vaccines should obtain WHO approval for full and emergency use as well as NAFDAC authorisation before it is approved for human use in Nigeria.

“I’m not aware of any vaccine that was subjected to local clinical trials after WHO approval and NAFDAC authorisation.”

He explained that what was usually carried out after inoculation with such approved vaccines was to conduct pharmacovigilance and meticulously monitor any adverse events among recipients.

He added, “I’m sure NAFDAC has plans for such studies. The Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine received emergency use validation from the WHO. I assume our NAFDAC will call for and review all the documentation submitted for the WHO approval.

“Again, I do not think it is feasible to do a local Nigerian clinical trial for a vaccine that has received WHO validation. We currently do not have the resources to conduct clinical trials for vaccines.”

Also, a consultant virologist at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Prof Olufemi Olaleye, stated that he did not see the need for another clinical trial of the vaccines.

He explained that there may be little difference in response of people to vaccines/antigens, adding that vaccines were supposed to be universal.

He added, “There is no vaccine for Africans that is different from the one for Caucasians or Chinese or any other race for that matter. Even within the same race, people respond to antigens or vaccines differently. I will be surprised if anyone is calling for clinical trial during a threatening pandemic like COVID-19. It is not when a house is on fire that you want to start testing your fire truck.”

The virologist disclosed that clinical trial was a long process, hence the reason for emergency use authorisation in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union countries.

He also stated that he was unaware of any institution with trained personnel and facilities for a proper clinical trial in Nigeria currently.

“I think what the Minister of Health requires is full information on the vaccines under considerations such as safety, immunogenicity and the logistics of handling to make an informed decision on which brand to procure. Be that as it may, an important question to ask based on the pattern of the disease in Nigeria thus far is whether we require vaccine now or not?” he said.

He, therefore, recommended that the country should seek ways to ensure adherence to the non-pharmaceutical intervention approaches to more prevention and monitor outcomes of the ongoing vaccination in other countries as may be required.

The World Health Organisation announced on Friday that it had approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use, paving the way for lower and middle-income countries to begin immunising their population against COVID-19.

The vaccine was first approved in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2020, for emergency use in the country, with the United States, Canada and the European Union taking the same decision afterwards. All have begun their own vaccination drive.

The WHO approval implies that countries without their own regulatory bodies, or the means to rigorously assess the efficacy and safety of vaccines, can now expedite their own approval processes and begin rolling out vaccination programmes.

According to the WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, Dr Mariângela Simão, the Emergency Use Listing has opened the door for countries to expedite their own regulatory approval processes to import and administer the vaccine.

He added, “This is a very positive step towards ensuring global access to COVID-19 vaccines. But I want to emphasise the need for an even greater global effort to achieve enough vaccine supply to meet the needs of priority populations everywhere.

“WHO and our partners are working night and day to evaluate other vaccines that have reached safety and efficacy standards. We encourage even more developers to come forward for review and assessment. It’s vitally important that we secure the critical supply needed to serve all countries around the world and stem the pandemic.”

NMA makes a U-turn, backs revalidation of vaccines

The National President, Nigerian Medical Association, Prof Innocent Ujah, on Friday made a U-turn on the need for a clinical trial. He said since Nigeria is in an emergency situation, the COVID-19 vaccine will no longer need to pass through a clinical trial.

Ujah, who had earlier said the COVID-19 vaccine should be subjected to a clinical trial before being administered on Nigerians, said in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, that the efficacy of the vaccine had been established by scientific process.

He explained that since Nigeria and Africa as a whole were not involved in the clinical trial, “it is good to revalidate so that we can also report some likely untoward effects – side effects.”

He said, “When we have that, we can tell our people that it (the vaccine) cannot kill our people but we can tell the people the likely reactions some people may likely get. That is revalidation. It is not that we are to go through a barrage of clinical trials because to do clinical trial particularly in an emergency situation will take some time.”

Ujah, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State, said even though there was yet to be any vaccine for HIV all along, scientists got a vaccine for COVID-19 within nine months and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in the United States because it required an “emergency authorisation.”

   COVID-19 vaccination: Scientists caution FG

Meanwhile, as Nigeria prepares to spend about N400bn to procure the vaccines, some scientists have cautioned the Federal Government against a mass vaccination plan.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, a professor of immunology at the University of Ibadan, Ganiyu Arinola, said even though no amount of investment on health is a waste, such nationwide vaccination programme might not be the best use of the nation’s scarce resources.

Arinola said, “The mere availability of COVID-19 vaccine is insufficient to give broad immunological protection. As of now, it will be advisable to be cautious in the use of current COVID-19 vaccines because so many facts are still emerging on the vaccines.”

He added, “Among other concerns about COVID-19 vaccination in low resource countries is a question; do their benefits outweigh the risks or how safe are the existing COVID-19 vaccines?”

In the same vein, Dr Olubusuyi Adewumi, a virologist at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, said decisions on COVID-19 vaccination must be guided by scientific evidence.

Adewumi, who noted that the country had not been as hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic as other countries, said mass vaccination may not be the best strategy for Nigeria.

“However, the question is how did we arrive at such a decision? Was it guided by scientific findings? Can we afford it?” He said.

Also, the Executive Director, International Research Centre, Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, Prof Alash’le Grace Abimiku, said in view of the expense, the spike in infections and the world’s direction in terms of vaccination, now might not be the right time for any clinical trial with an approved COVID-19 vaccine.

Abimiku added, “What Nigeria needs to do at this time is to engage expert institutions that can put in place all the necessary processes to closely monitor and document the protective level and any side effects or safety concerns of the vaccine in our population in readiness for vaccination of its population with the approved COVID-19 vaccines.”

Rivers schools resume Monday, as Bayelsa, Ebonyi shift resumption

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has approved the reopening of public and private schools in the state on January 4, 2021, warning that there must be strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Chidi Aniele, on Saturday read, “The Ministry of Education wishes to announce that, with the approval of His Excellency Governor Nyesom Wike, the school calendar published in August 2020 stands. Accordingly, both public and private schools in the State are hereby reminded that schools will resume on January 4, 2021, for normal academic activities.

“Schools are to maintain all COVID-19 protocols, including the wearing of face masks, use of hand sanitisers and staggered classes/morning and afternoon sessions in order to avoid overcrowding.”

Meanwhile, Bayelsa and Ebonyi states have said schools will reopen on January 11 and 18 respectively.

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Mr Gentle Emelah, said in a statement that all primary and secondary schools in the state should resume for the 2020/2021 academic session on Monday, January 11.

He said all boarding students were expected to arrive at their schools on January 10, as he directed the management of each school should ensure total compliance with the COVID-19 safety guidelines.

In Ebonyi State, the Commissioner for Education, Mr Onyebuchi Chima, in a statement on Saturday said all public, private and mission nursery, primary and secondary schools in the state should resume on January 18 instead of January 4 as earlier scheduled.

He said the directive was from the Governor, Mr David Umahi, and that people should take precaution against the impending second wave of the virus while urging the public to comply with the directives of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.

Obaseki unveil fresh plan to tackle COVID-19

Meanwhile, Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has said the state government will mobilise resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, assuring that the state will effectively manage the virus just as it did during the first wave.

In a statement on Friday, the governor also called on residents of the state to show love to one another in the new year.

He said, “As we begin a new year under difficult circumstances, we must realise that tough times don’t last forever. Let us see the opportunities in this adversity and continue to preach love and hope this new year. Please remember that COVID-19 is still here with us and we must follow all the precautionary public health and safety guidelines.”

He said the state had begun a comprehensive health care reform, which includes rebuilding the schools that train health care professionals, rolling out the state’s health insurance scheme to provide a source for financing our health systems and increasing the number of state-of-the-art primary healthcare centres in the state from the current 61 to 120.

FG places six-month ban on 100 travellers for shunning PCR test

About 100 international passengers have been placed on six months’ travel restriction for flouting the mandatory seven-day post-arrival COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction test.

The decision came barely five days after the Federal Government’s announcement on the planned action against the defaulters.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, announced this in a memo titled ‘Travel restriction,’ released by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture on Friday night.

According to him, the six months’ travel restriction, which took effect on January 1, 2021, was “based on presidential authority.”

He added, “Defaulting passengers have been notified and will be prevented from travelling out of the country during this period.”

Mustapha had on Tuesday, December 29, 2020, said with effect from January 1, 2021, the passports of the first 100 passengers who had failed to take their day-seven post-arrival PCR test would be published in national newspapers.

He also noted that the PTF had worked out additional quarantine protocols to be observed by travellers arriving from the UK and South Africa.

According to him, the PTF has worked out additional quarantine protocols to be observed by travellers arriving from the United Kingdom and South Africa, in keeping with government determination to minimise any possibility of importation of the virus.

He said, “The new policy started from Monday, December 28, 2020. Key changes include the requirement for passengers for two additional documents, permit to travel/QR code obtained from the travel portal after payment for the day-seven post-arrival test, and COVID-19 PCR negative test with a validity now shortened to 96 hours or four days.

“The PTF shall remain vigilant on this matter and our relevant agencies are also working on the sequencing to determine the strain found.”

Reps set to revisit bill mandating vaccines for Nigerians

The House of Representatives may be revisiting the controversial Quarantine Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill 2020, also known as the Infectious Diseases Control Bill, Weekend PUNCH can report.

Among other provisions, the controversial bill makes receiving of a vaccine compulsory for Nigerians

Committee report on the bill, widely referred to as the ‘NCDC bill,’ which has been due for the presentation since June 2020, would be laid after the National Assembly resumes from recess.

The reconsideration of the legislation will be coming at a time when Nigeria is experiencing a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Federal Government’s plan to procure vaccines.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila; Chairmen of the House Committees on Health Institutions and Health Services, Messrs Paschal Obi and Tanko Sununu, respectively, jointly sponsored the bill.

Speaking to our correspondent on Saturday, Sununu said the report by the committee on the bill would be laid when the National Assembly resumes.

The federal parliament embarked on Christmas and New Year holidays December 21, 2020, and is billed for resumption on January 26, 2021.

Sununu, however, noted that the country already has laws governing vaccination, noting that the bill covers all infectious diseases and not only COVID-19. “It is a primary health care responsibility,” he stated.

Responding to a question on the current status of the bill, the lawmaker said, “We are going to lay the report when we resume. The committee has conducted a public hearing. We have drafted our report but we could not lay it because of the budget (2021 Appropriation Bill) consideration. It will be one of the first bills (reports) that will be laid when we resume.”

Sununu explained that COVID-19 is one of the infectious diseases that the bill seeks to manage. He, however, said, “We cannot have a bill that will say ‘this is for COVID-19;’ we can only talk about the general principles (of infectious diseases and their management). We can then have different policies for COVID-19, polio, meningitis, etc. But a bill cannot be for only COVID-19. No.”

“If we say it about COVID-19 now and after this, another one comes? So, we can only have a law that governs infectious diseases generally.”

The House had on May 1, 2020, passed for the bill for second reading, with a plan to skip its referral to a committee to conduct public hearing but to consider it for the third reading same day. The stiff opposition by some members of the chamber had forced the House to suspend the process.

Nationwide protests had also greeted the proposed law, titled, ‘A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Quarantine Act, Cap. Q2, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and Enact the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill, Make Provisions Relating to Quarantine and Make Regulations for Preventing the Introduction into and Spread in Nigeria of Dangerous Infectious Diseases.’

Many Nigerians had gone online to criticise the bill, raising concerns over some of its proposals. Using the hashtag, #StoptheNCDCBill, critics of the proposal, especially on Twitter, listed the controversial clauses as including Sections 3(8), 8, 13, 15, 16, 17(4)(5) and (7), 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 30, 47 and 58.

The bill seeks to repeal the Quarantine Act of 1926 and when passed, would also repeal the Nigeria National Health Act, 2004, National Programme on Immunisation Act, Cap N71, LFN 2004; and the Environmental Health Officers (Registration, etc) 2002.

The House was forced to make a U-turn and organised a public hearing on the proposal between June 10 and 11, 2020.

At the hearing, several stakeholders had picked holes in the bill especially its parts that infringe on human rights and provisions of the Constitution.

Those who made presentations at the hearing included the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Nigerian Labour Congress/Trade Union Congress, the Nigerian Medical Association, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Federal Ministry of Health.

Both the NCDC and the health ministry, who are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of the powers proposed in the bill, had also criticised it.

source: Punch