NCDC Advises Nigerians On Vaccination, Other Safety Measures As New COVID-19 Variant Spreads

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has advised Nigerians to take safety precautions including taking full doses of COVID-19 vaccines as recommended to prevent the spread of the disease.

The advice followed the detection of a new COVID-19 variant called SARS-CoV-2 XEC.

The SARS-CoV-2 XEC, a sub-variant of Omicron, currently classified as the Variant of Interest (VOI), has according to NCDC, been reported in 132 countries, including the United States, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, China, New Zealand, Thailand, Canada, and Singapore, and Nigeria.

In a public advisory issued on Saturday by NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, the centre said though the XEC variant has been reported as a variant of interest in Nigeria since January 2024, it is yet to be detected in Nigeria.

Idris explained that a VOI is not yet deemed to pose serious risk, adding that “The XEC is a subvariant of JN.1 and has been designated as the Variant Under Monitoring (VUM), i.e., being watched for potential concerns and not considered to pose a significant risk, and not yet meeting the criteria for designation as VOI.

“The XEC sub-variant has been reported in Europe, Asia, North America, and Africa, with Botswana being the only African country to record cases so far”

Idris pointed out that “While the sub-variant exhibits higher transmissibility, there is no evidence of increased disease severity.”

The NCDC Director General assured Nigerians that the National COVID-19 Technical Working Group was conducting continuous surveillance and data analysis.

While noting that COVID-19 remains a significant risk, particularly for the elderly, individuals with underlying chronic illnesses, those undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, and persons with suppressed immune system, the centre called on health facilities to ramp up testing and forward positive samples to accredited laboratories for genomic sequencing.

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“COVID-19 remains a significant risk, particularly for the elderly, individuals undergoing cancer treatment, organ transplant recipients, and those with suppressed immune systems.

“We urge Nigerians to get vaccinated and receive booster doses as recommended,” it said.

The agency further urged Nigerians to continue to observe basic health protocols, including hand washing, mask usage in crowded spaces, and ensuring proper ventilation indoors.