NAFDAC must approve vaccines before use, says DG

The Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned Nigerians not to take any vaccine except the ones approved by the agency.

Adeyeye, at a briefing on Friday, said the World Health Organisation’s approval was not enough for the use of the vaccine, except the regulatory agency certifies the vaccine safe for use.

She said, “The WHO will say that unless the regulatory agency of a country approves a vaccine, it should not be used. WHO is not a regulatory agency that will approve and say use; they are there to guide and give regulatory agencies more confidence.

“If a product is already on WHO emergency use listing, the regulatory agency will still look at the application. That doesn’t mean we just pass it like that, we will have to read it within the context of our environment. No vaccine or commodity can be used unless it passes through NAFDAC in Nigeria.

“Vaccines should not be ordered by any company or corporation. The companies that manufacture the vaccines if they are genuine companies know they have to submit their application to NAFDAC

She said the agency was discussing with manufactures of candidate COVID-19 vaccines concerning potential Emergency Use Authorisation, registration or licensing of their product as the case may be.

“The agency assures applicants that if phase three clinical data are very convincing and robust with regards to safety and efficacy and the vaccine has been submitted for WHO for Emergency Use Listing, NAFDAC will welcome the application for Emergency Use Authorisation in Nigeria,” Adeyeye said.