December 29, (THEWILL) – The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says candidates, clients and other members of the public below the age of 18 years are not required to produce any vaccination card before being allowed access to its facilities.
According to JAMB, these categories of persons are not covered by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) vaccination policy.
Spokesperson of the Board, Fabian Benjamin, said the clarification became necessary in view of the misinterpretation of the policy of ‘no vaccination card, no entry’ into any of its facilities nationwide earlier announced.
THEWILL reports that the board had announced a policy of no vaccination card, no entry into any of its facilities nationwide.
“In line with this entry protocol, staff and visitors or clients are to present acceptable evidence which is: COVID-19 vaccination card, any identification card connecting the holder to the vaccination card, preferably the national identity card, driver’s licence, or International Passport.
“As a proactive agency, the board is adopting this protocol in the light of its heightened preparations for the commencement of the 2022 UTME/DE registration exercise.
“We implore all not to be pulled to the sense of security as pertains to the COVID-19 pandemic, as the increasingly dangerous dimension the virus is assuming should be a source of concern to all, especially with the emergence of more virulent Omicron variant”, the Board had said in an earlier statement.
Benjamin, however, said the board discovered that many underage candidates were making frantic efforts to get vaccinated, with some even falsifying their age to be vaccinated just to access services at the board’s facilities.
The statement reads: “All candidates, clients and other members of the public below the age of 18 years are not required to produce any vaccination card before being allowed access to our facilities.
“This category of persons are not covered by the NCDC Vaccination Policy.
“You will recall that the Board had announced a policy of no vaccination card, no entry into any of its facilities nationwide but discovered that many underage candidates were making frantic efforts to get vaccinated with some even falsifying their age to be vaccinated just to access services at the Board’s facilities.
“It is to be noted that the policy, as announced by the Board, is in tandem with the NCDC policy of no vaccination, no access to public places as well as ensuring that only persons eligible for vaccination are vaccinated and issued the card.
“Meanwhile, in view of likely abuse by individuals, the Board would also require evidence of being underage to allow any underage individual access to its facilities.
“This directive is to protect the public as well as the staff of the board from the ravaging virus and would want all and sundry to play their own part in this battle of ensuring that we have a healthy and productive population.”
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