The Nigerian government on Tuesday warned against patronising a fake coronavirus vaccine, which it said was on sale in Kano State.
“You must ignore the Vaccine being hawked in Kano which is called ‘COVID19 Vaccine’. It is yellow in colour, it’s not certified by anybody, please don’t patronize the hawkers,” Nigeria’s information minister Lai Mohammed said during the Presidential Taskforce on COVID19 briefing.
Mohammed further said the government has increased its enlightenment programs about the virus with over 90% Nigerians claimed to be aware of it.
Scientists around the world are racing against time to develop a vaccine for coronavirus, which has killed more than 119,000 people and infected more than 1.9 million globally.
About a week ago, China approved early-stage human tests for two experimental vaccines as it battles to contain imported cases and prevent a second wave of COVID-19.
Currently, more than 35 companies and academic institutions around the world are working on COVID-19 vaccines. The first human trials started last month for a vaccine produced by Boston-area biotech firm Moderna Therapeutics.
Pennsylvania-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals started testing its candidate vaccine earlier this month, and Novavax, a Maryland company, has said it will start trials in Australia in May.
Nigeria has recorded 665 cases of coronavirus cases with 188 being discharged while 22 people have died of the virus.
- NAN
