Professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori, says government officials should be among the first set of Nigerians to take the COVID-19 vaccines whenever the country takes delivery of its own supply.
Tomori said such an arrangement would convince Nigerians about the safety of the vaccines expected to arrive on Monday.
The virologist made this demand while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday.
According to him, “Let’s see some of those government people take the 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.
“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 vaccination of the leaders before the ordinary people would give other Nigerians the needed confidence in the vaccines.
He said, “It is a gradual thing, over time people will now begin to say these guys that have got 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.
“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.”