COVID-19 vaccine trains the body immune system to create antibodies.
Executive Director, National Primary Health Care Development
Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib made this known in a chat with NAN.
Shuaib said vaccines help the body to make antibodies that
serve as proteins that fight off infections and diseases.
He explained that if someone is vaccinated and comes in
contact with a bacteria/virus that cause diseases, the system will recognise it
and give some level of protection.
“The COVID-19 vaccination offers partial protection within
two weeks of the first dose.
“This is why it is recommended that all doses of the vaccine
are taken for longer-term protection against the virus”, he said.
The spike protein in the COVID-19 vaccine allows it to enter
the human cells and guard the body, the NPHCDA boss added.
“This means that if you choose to take a vaccine, you are
less likely to get severely sick if you encounter the virus,” he said.
Shuaib assured that the vaccines do not contain a live virus
and cannot cause disease.
As of July 4, about 23,627,968 eligible persons across the
country had been fully vaccinated.
A total of 11,948,229 of the figure have been partially
vaccinated in 36 states and the FCT.