COVID-19: Osun NYSC debunks claim of compulsory vaccination of corps members

Abimbola Abatta, Osogbo

The Management of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Osun State has denied the claim that corps members are being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccine before they were allowed for monthly biometrics clearance.

This is coming on the heels of the rumour that is making rounds that corps members are being forced to take COVID-19 vaccines before they could be allowed to enrol for monthly clearance.

However, the NYSC State Coordinator, Osun State, Mr Adewale Adegoke, in a statement on Wednesday, refuted the claim of compulsory vaccination of corps members.

He said no corps member in the state was forced to take the vaccine nor was the vaccine administration attached to the monthly biometrics.

According to him, “The vaccine administration is voluntary and therefore only corps members and members of staff who were interested were administered the vaccine during the 2021 Batch A orientation course and now.

“It should also be noted that out of the over 4000 corps members in the state only a few hundreds have been vaccinated so far.

The State Coordinator, having been vaccinated along with the management and some members of staff had encouraged corps members and other members of staff to leverage on the opportunity provided by the scheme in order to be safe.

“The kind gesture of the Director-General in liaising with the appropriate bodies to ensure the vaccine is made available to corps members nationwide is proof of his deep commitment to the welfare and safety of the NYSC members but at no point in time did the scheme at all levels ever compel nor attach its statutory duties to the corps members to the administration of the corona vaccine.

“We wish to call on members of the scheme in the state to debunk all rumours and myths surrounding the vaccine as it has been proven and approved to be safe,” he said.