Academy appoints medical experts as rapid response initiative group on pandemics

The Academy of Medicine Specialties (AMS) said it has assembled a team of eminent medical experts to assess and advise the government on the way forward on the ongoing pandemic.

The Academy, in a statement, signed Tuesday by its President, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, said it wants to take the lead in advising the government and the public on the way forward in the current pandemic. “Like other National Academy of Medicine, a team of experts has been assembled to launch a rapid-response initiative committee. They would explore the current state of the art and provide recommendations to improve the countrywide strategy for preparedness, border control in cases of new pandemics, regulatory approval, distribution of vaccines, and post-approval surveillance for adverse events. The expert committee would head this Rapid initiative group,” it noted.

Members of the group, according to the statement, are Prof. Geoffrey Onyemelukwe, Prof. Wole Tomori, Prof. Vincent Olubunmi Rotimi, Prof. Akin Osibogun, Prof. Bruce Ovbiagele, Prof. Obinna Onwujekwe, Prof. Babatunde Salako, and Prof. Sunday Omilabu.

It noted that Fellows of the Academy with an interest in communicable disease are also invited to join the group.

According to the statement, “they would advise the Academy regularly to be published and given to government and newsletter to the Academy and the public.

“They are expected to give immediate advice on the enormous task of facing the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus type 2 (SARS-C0V2) multifaceted challenges. They would contribute and make recommendations on the current struggle to vaccinate or not. If, with mRNA or DNA vaccines and adverse event following immunization (AEFI) consequences, to which groups or not to administer the vaccine; use of Ivermectin, steaming, vitamin supplements and other ramifications. They would also help in continuous monitoring of global trends in other infections such as Ebola and recommend necessary preventive measures.”

AEFI is defined as any untoward medical occurrence which follows immunisation and does not necessarily have a causal relationship with the usage of the vaccine. The adverse event may be any unfavourable or unintended sign, abnormal laboratory finding, symptom, or disease.