My dad wouldn’t have died of COVID-19, says Nigeria’s first vaccine recipient

Cyprian Ngong, the first recipient of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria, says he would not have lost his father if the country had the vaccine.

Ngong, a doctor at the National Hospital, Abuja, who has been on the frontline since Nigeria’s first case of COVID-19, said this on Friday.

He received the first shot of the vaccine which was administered by Faisal Shuaib, chief executive officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Speaking shortly after getting the vaccine, the doctor said he lost his father months ago to COVID-19, and that he might still be alive, if he had got a jab.

“I only wish my dad had had that vaccine, maybe, months ago or so. We lost him and the fight is still on and we will win,” he said.

When asked about how he felt after receiving the vaccine, he said: “You can see I just took the vaccine now and I feel good. I have dreamt of taking this vaccine and I have taken the vaccine. Thank you very much.”

Ngong commended the leadership of the National Hospital in the fight against COVID-19, saying the pandemic affected them in certain areas but they are happy that doses of the vaccine are now available.