The Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari, on Monday, led other officials of government to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at a ceremony in State House Clinic, Abuja.
Gambari was joined by the former military administrator of Lagos and Borno state, and the Chairman/CEO of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), and the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijjani Umar.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, was also vaccinated.
They were later handed their vaccination cards by the Chief Medical Director of the State House Medical Centre, Dr Husain Munir.
Speaking shortly after the vaccination, Gambari said the was painless and that he followed the footsteps of President Muhammadu Buhari who he said demonstrated leadership alongside his deputy by receiving the jabs on Saturday.
He advised eligible Nigerians to take the vaccines assuring that it is safe.
The chief of staff added that the more Nigerians are vaccinated the more we are safe.
On his part, Marwa, congratulated Nigerians as the vaccines are now in the country, urging citizens to take the vaccine so that Nigeria can be COVID-19 free as soon as possible.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, had during the week said that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has a mild side effect.
Ehanire explained that those vaccinated may experience “small pain” in the area it was injected.
Ehanire, however, stated that the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be painless.