Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has said that COVID-19 vaccine will not be made mandatory in Nigeria.
He stated this on Arise TV after Nigeria on Tuesday, received about four million doses of free COVID-19 vaccines via the COVAX Facility, a partnership between CEPI, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO.
Asked if the vaccine would be made compulsory in Nigeria Mamora said, “Nothing will be made mandatory. It’s optional. The choice is yours. Nobody will be forced to take any vaccine.”
On whether at some point it could be made mandatory he replied, “If that happens, it would not be a decision of Nigeria.”
He said that just as one can’t travel to some countries without having the Yellow Card certificate, countries might have to start demanding a COVID-19 vaccination certificate before allowing outsiders in.
He said Nigeria may be influenced by a demand by countries for a certificate of vaccination, adding that “it may just be something that will become global.”
“So, it may come to that.”