Nigeria kicked off its vaccination campaign on March 5, 2021 after receiving nearly four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has caused some stir in Europe over safety concerns.

The Director-General of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, said on Monday, March 22 that 122,410 have now been vaccinated in the country.

Full implementation of the vaccination has commenced in 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory, but Kogi, Kebbi, Zamfara, and Oyo are yet to start their campaigns.

Many countries, especially in Europe, recently suspended the deployment of the AstraZeneca vaccine over fears it caused blood clots in some vaccinated people, but rollout has resumed after investigations failed to establish a link.

Shuaib expressed relief on Monday that the concerns about the vaccine have been put to bed in Europe and reassured Nigerians that the vaccine is safe for them to receive.

"No Nigerian so far has developed any known severe side effects following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

"What we have observed among some vaccines are mild side effects such as pain and swelling at the site of the vaccination, body pains and mild fever," he said.

The NPHCDA boss promised that authorities will continue to monitor the administration of the vaccine and document any adverse reactions.

Since Nigeria recorded its first COVID-19 case in February 2020, over 161,000 cases have been recorded, with over 2,000 fatalities.

Nearly 150,000 people have recovered from infection.