Al-Shabaab announced its rejection of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine over its “adverse” side effects.
A statement attributed to the Somalia-based militia group says that the vaccine is “harmful” thus not worth using.
Somalia received the AstraZeneca vaccine in mid-March.
Since then, the East African nation has rolled out a vaccination campaign covering all parts of the country.
So far, the disease has claimed the lives of hundreds of Somalis since the first case was reported in March 2020.
Al-Shabaab issued a statement on March 30 warning that the vaccine being used in Somalia was “not of the required standards.”
In that statement, the militia group indicated that the vaccine was more harmful than beneficial.
Nevertheless, the group failed to provide any evidence to support its claims.