Lagos, Osun, Nasarawa, others receive COVID-19 vaccine
…Enugu trains 300 Vaccinators
The governments of Lagos, Osun, Benue, Nasarawa and Enugu have confirmed receiving doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the Federal Government.
In Lagos, the State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Tuesday in Ikeja while speaking at the 2021 International Women’s Day celebration organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
Sanwo-Olu said that the state government received the vaccines at 4a.m. on Tuesday and they were kept in a safe place.
He assured residents that the state government would soon commence the vaccination in line with the scheduled guidelines laid down by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
The governor implored residents to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols like wearing of face mask, washing of hands and observing social distance.
In Lafia, the Nasarawa State Government speaking through Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Adamu said it has begun the vaccination of its frontline medical workers against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our Correspondent reports that the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, had earlier on Tuesday confirmed the delivery of 61,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines to the state.
Adamu said that he was the first healthcare worker in the state to be vaccinated, adding that many were still being vaccinated at the time of filling this report.
He described the vaccines as very safe, adding that healthcare workers and members of the public should avail themselves of the opportunity to be vaccinated.
Meanwhile, Mr Ahmed Yahaya, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Health, said that Gov. Abdullahi Sule and Akabe would be vaccinated on March 10.
The commissioner stated that vaccination centres were established in the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, to make the exercise a success.
In Makurdi, Benue state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs Ngunan Addingi, on Tuesday acknowledged the receipt of 50,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Addingi said that the vaccination was completely voluntary.
She said: “The state government has received a total of 50,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine for onward vaccination of Benue citizens.”
Addingi said the state action committee on COVID-19 would meet to determine the modalities and when the vaccination would begin.
The commissioner said that the state Executive Council also approved the sum of N163.6 million as government’s 10 per cent monthly contributory pension for its workers.
Addingi added that the council approved the sum of N77.4 million for the training of Special Constables in the state and another N34 million as their monthly stipends.
In the meantime, Enugu State Government has begun the training of at least 300 COVID-19 vaccinators, ahead of the arrival of the vaccines in the state.
The trainees were drawn from the 17 Local Government Áreas of the state for the two-day train-the-trainer workshop.
The Executive Secretary of Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu, declared the workshop open on Tuesday in Enugu.
Ugwu said the trainees would further step down the training in their various council areas and wards.
He said the training was being carried out with the help of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), UNICEF, WHO and others.
He further said the training would help to equip the vaccinators and health workers with the right information concerning the vaccines.
“This will enable them to carry everyone along in the council area and ward levels,” Ugwu said.
He also said that the training would help to enlighten the trainees on the seriousness of the assignment of administering the vaccines.
He warned them never to delegate their duty to anyone, saying the state health ministry and community members are watching.
“If any vaccinator is found wanting, such a person will be sanctioned appropriately,” he said.
According to him, they are trained to administer the vaccines and other health office undertaking under strict observation of the COVID-19 safety protocols.
“The issue of COVID-19 pandemic, including its vaccination, is sensitive and sensational.
“So, our health workers must follow all laid down procedures in the COVID-19 Vaccination Manual provided by the Federal Government through the NPHCDA, in collaboration with the UNICEF, WHO and other partners.
“They must pass the right message, act in the right way and ensure people around them while they administer the vaccines obey and abide by the safety protocols.
“The trainees and other health workers should strive to correct misinformation and negative myth against the vaccines in their localities.
“The vaccines are cool, safe and secured for all and NAFDAC, NPHCDA, UNICEF and WHO have endorsed it,” Ugwu said.
He lauded Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for supporting the ENS-PHCDA’s steps to ensure that the state rolled back the virus in record time and check the spread and death from the pandemic.
“I must commend our health-friendly governor, who not only funds the agency’s programmes but takes personal interest to know what is happening and what the state should do next.
“Ugwuanyi has taken time to ensure that step-by-step all that is needed to be done is done at the appropriate time to make sure everyone in the state is safe and secure from the pandemic,” Ugwu said.
