Confusion in Maiduguri as pupils flee their schools over alleged ‘killer Monkeypox vaccine’ rumour

Confusion in Maiduguri as pupils flee their schools over alleged ‘killer Monkeypox vaccine’ rumour

- There was confusion in Maiduguri over alleged Monkey pox vaccine rumour

- The federal ministry of health had also on Wednesday, October 18, issued a rebuttal denying the availability of such a vaccine

- But despite the government’s denial, the students fled their schools amid fear of the ‘killer vaccine’

Public schools in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, were thrown into chaos, Wednesday, October 18 when rumours filtered in that monkeypox vaccines were being forcefully administered on pupils by unknown persons.

Premium times reports that the rumour, which had caused confusion in a few other states in recent days, has been debunked by the army authorities several times.

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Legit.ng gathered that the federal ministry of health had also on Wednesday, October 18, issued a rebuttal denying the availability of such a vaccine.

The defence headquarters specifically denied the allegation in a statement signed by its spokesman, John Enenche.

Confusion in Maiduguri as pupils flee their schools over alleged ‘killer Monkeypox vaccine’ rumour
Confusion in Maiduguri as pupils flee their schools over alleged ‘killer Monkeypox vaccine’ rumour

But these denials appeared to have been dismissed by residents in Maiduguri as hundreds of school children bolted out of their classes on Wednesday.

Some parents equally forced their way into school premises to pick their children and wards.

However, Premium Timed reported that none of the children or parents interviewed said they saw the people administering the vaccines. Despite this, the rumour quickly spread to many parts of the city.

“We were told that some pupils slumped and died after they injected them with the vaccine in Gwange area,” a 12-year-old schoolgirl, Lam said.

At Sanda Kyarimi primary school, parents reportedly engaged in fisticuffs with staff unwilling to release the kids.

In a related development, Omu-Aran, Ilofa, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Local Government areas of Kwara state were thrown into turmoil on Wednesday, October 18, following the report of deadly vaccination in the communities.

According to Vanguard, the development forced parents to withdraw their wards from schools for fear of being injected with unknown disease.

It was gathered that parents in Omu-Aran stormed both private and public schools in the area as early as 9:00 am following the wild spread rumour of the presence of the said vaccine injection team, allegedly accompanied by military in the town.

Some of the parents, mostly traders and commercial motorcyclists had to abandon their businesses in a bid to withdraw their wards from schools to prevent them from being injected with the alleged vaccines.

Some schools were also forced to engage the service of security personnel when the development degenerated into confrontation between the parents and school authorities.

But the state government denied the rumours.

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In a statement the special adviser to Kwara state Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on security, Alhaji Amusa Bello, advised members of the public to ignore the rumour as neither the Nigerian army nor any other security agency is currently undertaking a vaccination exercise.

The state government also called on parents not to panic and to refrain from withdrawing their wards from schools based on this ‘unfounded rumour’

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Nigerian Army, 32 Artillery Brigade in Akure, Ondo state has vowed to find and punish those who spread rumours of an alleged planned vaccination of school children against monkeypox by soldiers.

Monkeypox has no known cure, Nigerians should be careful - Doctor warns - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng

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