Al-Shabaab militant group has rejected Astra Zeneca vaccines claiming “it harms far outweigh its alleged benefit”.
Al-Shabaab militant group has rejected Astra Zeneca vaccines claiming “it harms far outweigh its alleged benefit”.
In a statement, the militant group Office of Politics and Wilaayaat warned the Somalis against the vaccine a week after vaccination rollout kicked off in the horn of the African nation.
”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,” the group said in a statement published in its affiliated website.
The group did not provide evidence why the Astra Zeneca vaccine is not beneficial.
Last year the militants claimed it set up a COVID-19 facility, which in Jilib, a major stronghold of the group in southern Somalia.
Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to topple Somalia’s central government and rule the Horn of Africa country according to its own interpretation of Islamic law.
It frequently carries out bombings and gun assaults in Somalia against both military and civilian targets including hotels, intersections and checkpoints.
