Dr Rasheed Odunola, University of Ilorin health service director, has just debunked a rumour stating that people who received the COVID-19 vaccine will die after two years.
Odunola, who stated this while speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, said that “ this is not true as such rumour were manufactured by shameless elements in order to discourage people from taking care of their health.”
The clarification followed a viral WhatsApp message on vaccinated people dying within two years.
The message claimed that Nobel Prize Winner, Luc Montagnier, confirmed that “there is no chance of survival for people who received any form of the vaccine.”
He said the vaccine had gone through series of tests before being administered to people.
He added that “the Federal Government also carried out a lot of laboratory tests to ensure there won’t be any side effects on people.”
The medical doctor, who affirmed that people react to the COVID-19 vaccine differently, noted that “the reaction does not mean death.”
He wondered if influential people across the world, including government officials, traditional rulers and other cosmopolitan people who voluntarily took the jab would ever do such when they knew what was at stake.
The director appealed to the staff of the University of Ilorin and the entire community to always make themselves available whenever another batch of the COVID-19 vaccine is available.
He lamented that out of about 5,000 staff members of the university, not more than 500 received the vaccine.
Odunola also assured them that they would not regret taking the vaccine anytime in their lives.
He also appealed to Nigerians, especially youths, to use more of their brain instead of their energy to live longer.
He said, “poor diet, the lack of proper medical care, nonchalant attitude to one’s health and abuse of energy given by God are some of the factors responsible for the reduction in life span.”
Responding to this claim as well, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and Assam Police of India took to Twitter and Facebook (respectively) to say that the information forwarded on WhatsApp is fake news.
Reports suggest that Luc Montagnier is known for his anti-vaccine stance. Many doctors and scientists also took to Twitter to debunk the claims in the viral message and the video being circulated
Despite being fact-checked, the claim continues to spread far and wide, evoking the fear of death. People are asking whether epidemiologists and scientists are trying to keep them in the dark.
