Nigeria: Lagos kicks off Covid vaccination

Nigeria's Lagos state started its coronavirus vaccination campaign on Friday after receiving over 500,000 doses of the AstraZeneca jab, despite concerns in some countries over the safety of the vaccine.

Lagos state health commissioner Akin Abayomi told reporters that authorities had spent a long time looking over the data and concluded that there was "no reason for us to slow down our COVID-19 vaccination response."

Some countries, mostly in Europe, have paused use of the AstraZeneca jab following sporadic reports of blood clots.

But the European Medicines Agency said there was no evidence of an increase in dangerous blood clots in connection with the shots.

Health workers and front line responders began receiving the vaccine in Lagos on Friday.

"I am very, very happy that we are advancing and the government is doing so much," said Clara Emembolu, a 74-year-old who was inoculated.

"I appreciate the government's effort in trying to secure this for our people."

Nigeria is among more than 180 countries worldwide receiving vaccines through the COVAX initiative.