Recall that the Federal Government on Tuesday last week received 3.94 million doses of the vaccine from COVAX facility, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI, and the World Health Organisation.

On Monday, 50,000 doses of the vaccine were given to Ogun State by the Federal Government.

More states got their allocations on Tuesday. The Nasarawa State Government said it had received 61,000 doses of the vaccine.

The state Deputy Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Akabe, disclosed this to journalists as the state Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu, said the state had started vaccinating frontline medical workers.

Also, the Benue State Government disclosed that it had 50,000 doses.

The state Commissioner for Information, Mrs. Ngunan Adingi, who disclosed this to one of our correspondents, explained that the state action committee on COVID-19 would soon meet to decide on when the vaccination would begin.

Adingi said, “We just received 50,000 doses of vaccine for the state. The committee on COVID-19 would meet to decide when the vaccination would begin.”

FCT receives 219,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses, sets up vaccination centres

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, on its part, said about 219, 800 doses of the vaccine were given to the state.

The acting Secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr. Mohammed Kawu, who disclosed this in Abuja, also explained that several vaccinators had been trained, adding that the administration would begin the vaccination soon.

He stated, “The vaccine doses allocated to the FCT are 219, 800. The vaccine doses are in our cold store and we do not have any issue with our level of preparedness. We have trained our vaccinators.”

Although the Katsina State Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Yahaya Shamsudeen, said the state would receive its allocation next week, a top official of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, who confided in one of our correspondents, said between 150,000 and 160,000 doses would be given to the state.

Yahaya, however, said the state had begun the training of health workers.

But the NPHCDA official, who confided in The PUNCH, stated, “ Based on the number of the frontline health workers and others that the state sent to Abuja, the state is to receive between 150,000 and 160,000 doses and this will be anytime next week.”

The Coordinator of the Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Task Force, Prof Bolaji Aluko, stated that the state government had taken delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine for the state.

Aluko who said the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Filani, would announce details of the vaccine, said that it arrived on Tuesday evening.

“It is in the neighborhood of 52,960 doses. It has been announced that the vaccination will begin with healthcare workers and strategic leaders,” Aluko said.

Ondo receives 75,570 doses

Also on Tuesday, the Ondo State Government confirmed the arrival of the vaccine in the state.

The Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi told The PUNCH that the state received 57, 570 doses of the vaccine.

He said, “We received the vaccine this (Tuesday) evening and we received 57, 570 doses.”

The State Epidemiologist, Dr. Stephen Fagbemi had earlier said the state had begun training for the vaccinators which would be completed this week, after which the vaccination would commence.

Although Osun State received its vaccine on Tuesday, its officials said the quantity would only be disclosed after it had been handed over to the state Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.

The Special Adviser to the governor on Public Health, Dr. Siji Olamiju, when contacted, pleaded for time before the number of doses would be disclosed, saying Oyetola would announce it.

A statement by the Information Officer, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Jelili Tiamiyu, explained that the vaccine meant for Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti states arrived at Akure Airport on Tuesday evening.

The statement read in parts, “Leading the state of Osun medical team to receive the vaccine on behalf of the state government were the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Usamot; the Special Adviser to Governor on Public Health, Siji Olamiju and the Chairman of the Primary Health Care Development Board, Leke Ogunsola at exactly 07:11 pm today (Tuesday).”

While Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Nasarawa, and Ekiti states received their consignments on Tuesday, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, said the state would receive its vaccine doses on Thursday.

In a chat with The PUNCH, she stated, “The CACOVID schedule says Cross River State flights arrive airport on Thursday by 10 am.”

She was, however, silent on the quantity allocated to the state.

Also, the Akwa Ibom State Government said it had yet to receive its share of the vaccine.

The state Commissioner of Health, Professor Augustine Umoh, stated, “We have not received ours yet. It comes in batches. The South-West is being given now. When it is our turn, you will see it. We cannot begin vaccination until we get the vaccine.”

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, said the state had received the first consignment of 507,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 COVAX vaccine provided by the Federal Government.

Omotoso, in a statement, said the vaccine had been transferred to the state cold chain facilities for safe storage and inventory management.

He said, “The first consignment of 507,000 Astra Zeneca COVID-19 COVAX vaccine provided by the Federal Government arrived in Lagos at 5 am today. The vaccine doses have been transferred from the airport to our state cold chain facilities for safe storage and inventory management.

“The Federal Government Phase 1 rollout plan, which is targeting frontline and essential personnel, will be communicated in the next few days. Additional consignments are expected.

“Details of the vaccine rollout will be clearly articulated to the public by the Incident Commander, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who has inaugurated a multi-stakeholder COVID-19 Vaccine Access and Distribution Committee chaired by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Babajide Sanwo-Olu had disclosed that the state had received the vaccine.

Sanwo-Olu said this while speaking at the 2021 International Women’s Day celebration organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation held at the Police College, Ikeja.

He assured Lagosians that the state government would soon commence the vaccination in line with the scheduled guidelines of the NPHCDA.

Abiodun, Osoba, Ogun commissioners take COVID-19 vaccines

The Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun; his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, and other members of the state executive council on Monday evening received the vaccine.

They took the first jabs of the vaccine on Monday at a brief ceremony a couple of hours after taking delivery of 50,000 doses of the vaccine.

A former Governor of the state and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Olusegun Osoba, also took the dose of the vaccine on Tuesday at the Governor’s office Clinics at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Somorin said a long-standing frontline worker, who has been managing the state-owned isolation centre in Abeokuta since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Abimbola Olaitan was the first to take the vaccine in the State on Monday.

The statement read that thereafter, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, administered the first jab of the vaccine on the Governor, followed by the deputy governor and other members of the cabinet took turns to get theirs.

According to the statement, those vaccinated against the COVID-19 pandemic include the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi; Chief of Staff to the governor, Salisu Shuaib; Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Dapo Okubadejo.

Also vaccinated are Budget and Planning Commissioner, Olaolu Olabimtan and his counterpart for Information and Strategy, Waheed Odusile as well as other key functionaries.

The governor after being administered with his first dose of the vaccine appreciated the President, Major General Muhammad Buhari (retd.) for providing the leadership that had enabled the country to receive almost four million doses of the vaccine

He said the leadership being provided by the President in the last 13 months was worthy of emulation.

Abiodun noted that the vaccination was a symbolic exercise done to show to the people how safe the vaccine was.

He said “We’ve all taken this vaccine so as to dispel misinformation. There should be no reluctance on the part of all of us to take this vaccine. We also believe that this further underscores that we believe in this vaccine and it is important as we have been advised by specialists worldwide that the vaccine is safe; the vaccine has been shown to reduce the severity of this disease.

“However, we’ve been warned that the full benefit of the vaccine can only be enjoyed when you’ve taken the second dosage, even after this first dose, you must continue to use your face masks and continue with social distance. It is not a licence to begin to move about without your face masks.

Speaking after taking his jab, Osoba said he took it upon himself to come for the vaccination to encourage others not to hesitate to take the vaccine.

“There is absolutely no risk or danger in taking the COVID-19 vaccine. I recommend the vaccine to everyone in the state. If I have taken the vaccine at the age of 82, there is no need for anyone to fear. I am confident the vaccine wouldn’t harm anyone”, he assured.

Osoba while congratulating the governor and the state government for being the first state to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, said that he was at the governor’s office to show leadership.

Osoba said, “I want to congratulate the governor and government of Ogun State for being the first state to receive this vaccine and I have come to show example, leadership and to convince our people in Ogun State that the vaccine is safe and that they should ignore the misinformation that is going on the internet about the risk in taking this vaccine.”  

source: Punch