MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group, Al-Shabaab has warned Somalia’s citizens against using the Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, saying it “harms far outweigh its alleged benefits”.
In a statement issued – after federal government based in Mogadishu and some regional states began rollout of the vaccine with health care workers, the elderly and government officials – the group said the vaccine “does more harm than good” and has “an array of adverse side effects”.
“Rather than strengthen the immune system and contribute to the prevention of the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, the AstraZeneca vaccine – rolled out by UNICEF and administered by the apostate Somali regime – does more harm than good and has an array of adverse side effects as illustrated by many health professionals and proven in medical researches around the world,” statement reads.
Several European countries, including Ireland, France, Germany and Italy had earlier suspended use of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine over blood clot fears, though the World Health Organization (WHO) played down the concerns.
“These are countries with far better medical resources than the apostate Somali regime [Somalia federal government], which doesn’t even have qualified medical personnel or laboratories to assess the efficacy, safety or performance of the vaccine,” It adds.
“Do not allow your children and family members to be used as guinea pigs in the race to develop a potent vaccine for the coronavirus pandemic. Do not allow your family to be used as subjects in the experimentation of the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine at a time when countless number of people have died and hundreds of others have developed severe adverse reactions, including the formation of blood clots, as a result of administering the vaccine.”
The Somalia-based militant group, which has been waging a war to topple the western backed government in Mogadishu for the last 14 years, also urged citizens of the war-torn Horn of Africa nation not to trust the “disbelievers” and accused UNICEF and WHO of involvement in exacerbating drought, diseases and poverty in the country.
Somali government, UNICEF and WHO have not immediately commented on the statement.
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