COVID-19 variant: Okowa urges Nigerians to embrace vaccination

By Dave Okpogadie, Asaba

Delta Governor, Sen. (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa, has called on Nigerians to take the COVID-19 vaccines, saying that vaccination is safe and that no death has been recorded as a result of administration of the vaccine in the country.

Okowa made the call at his quarterly interaction with journalists on Tuesday in Asaba.

He said that it had become very imperative for Nigerians to embrace vaccines, especially with the Omicron and Delta variants currently ravaging the world.

He stated that there was no shortage of vaccines in the state and the country and urged the people to take the vaccines as they are safe.

“Deltans and Nigerians are not accessing the vaccines enough; it is safe and many people are not taking advantage of the free vaccines.

“There has been no single case of death in Nigeria as a result of the vaccine,” the governor said.

On the Omicron Variant of COVID-19, he advised Nigerians not to panic but to continue to observe necessary pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical prevention protocols.

“There is a panicky approach to the whole thing and the way countries are placing travel bans on South Africa is not right.

“I don’t think it’s the best way to approach this because once you begin to have this level of punishment, when they detect new variants they may not speak out and that would be worse to handle.

“We have not had strong resistance to vaccines and I want to encourage Deltans and Nigerians to take the vaccines.

“There is no shortage of the AstraZeneca and Modena vaccines; we have them in our various health centres designated for COVID-19 vaccines.

“The vaccines are there just that the people are not accessing them enough, so, I urge the media to assist us in educating the people on the need to take the vaccines,” he said.

On Contributory Health Insurance, the Governor said the Delta model was being adopted by other states, adding that over one million enrollees were currently engaged in the scheme.