States take delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, begin inoculation

States across the country have been receiving the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines after Saturday’s public vaccination of President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at a ceremony held at the New Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

Ogun governor, others take vaccine jabs

A former Ogun State governor, Olusegun Osoba, on Tuesday, took his jab of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, allaying fears of side effects of the vaccine.

Osoba, who took his dose of the vaccine on Tuesday at the governor’s office Clinic at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, declared that there “is absolutely no risk or danger in taking the COVID-19 vaccine.”

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Governor Dapo Abiodun, his deputy, Engr Noimot Salako-Oyedele, and other members of the State Executive Council had on Monday night received the AstraZeneca vaccines.

They took the first jabs at a brief ceremony a couple of hours after taking delivery of 50,000 units of the vaccine donated by the World Health Organisation and the federal government.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin, quoted Osoba after taking his jabs, as saying he took it upon himself to come for the vaccination to encourage others not to hesitate in taking it.

The governor, after being administered with his first dose of the vaccine, said the vaccination was a symbolic exercise done to show to the people how safe the vaccines are for them.

Also vaccinated against the COVID-19 were the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Salisu Afolabi Shuaib; Commissioner for Finance and Chief Economic Adviser to the Governor, Dapo Okubadejo.

Lagos setting modalities for vaccine administration

Lagos State on Tuesday morning also received doses of the vaccines from the federal government.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this while speaking at the 2021 International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, which was held at the Police College, Ikeja.

He said the state government received the vaccines at about 4am on Tuesday, noting that they are kept in a safe place.

He assured Lagosians that the government is putting modalities in place for the administration of the vaccines in line with the scheduled guidelines laid down by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

Healthcare workers to receive COVID-19 first in Edo

Edo State government has said that healthcare workers in the state would be given priority in the administration of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Osamwonyi Irowa, said the state was fully prepared for the vaccine and that it would be administered soon.

Cross River begins inoculation next week

The Commissioner for health in Cross River State, Dr Betta Edu, says the state has taken delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

It was gathered that the commissioner will formally address journalists during the week on the vaccine and commencement of inoculation, which is expected to begin next week Monday.

Osun receives COVID-19 vaccine

Osun State government has received its share of the COVID-19 vaccine from the federal government.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Usamot, the Special Adviser to Governor on Public Health, Pharmacist Siji Olamiju and the Chairman, Osun Primary Health Care Development Board, Hon Leke Ogunsola, received the vaccine on behalf of the state government.

The vaccines for Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states arrived at Akure Airport at exactly 07:11 pm on Tuesday.

The Commissioner for Health said the state government has prepared adequately and ensured that its central cooling store was in a good state for the storage of the vaccine.

He said the state government has also supplied all the local government areas and the Local Council Development Areas with solar-powered refrigerators to cool the vaccines at required temperature.

The state government had earlier trained over 300 personnel that would anchor the vaccination exercises in the state.

Benue takes delivery of 50,000 COVID-19 vaccine

The Benue State government on Tuesday confirmed the arrival of the 50,000 COVID-19 vaccines in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Ngunan Addingi, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Makurdi shortly after the state executive council meeting.

He said the vaccine would be administered voluntarily to the citizens of the state.

She also said the state action committee on COVID-19 would meet to determine the modalities and when the vaccination would begin.

“The administration of the vaccine would be voluntary,” the commissioner added.

Kwara receives COVID-19 vaccines

Kwara State has taken delivery of its share of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines.

The consignment was received at the Ilorin International Airport on Tuesday night by the Executive Secretary, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Nusirat Elelu.

In a chat with Daily Trust, Dr Elelu said ‘’Yes, we just received the vaccines this night at the airport and our logistics team is still working on it before we can ascertain the number. We don’t know the figures yet.

‘‘The next step now is that we are going to continue with the E-Registration and our front line health workers will get the vaccines as soon as we have the launch which will be flagged off in the next few days,’’ she added.

Dr Elelu had earlier told our reporter that the inoculation of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq will only be fixed after the receipt of the vaccines from the federal government.

COVID-19: Vaccine to arrive Ebonyi Wednesday

Ebonyi State government would take delivery of the vaccines today, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Daniel Umezurike, hinted to Daily Trust on Tuesday.

Although, it is not yet clear when the vaccination would commence in the state, Governor David Umahi and other members of the state executive council, including health workers, would be among the first persons to be vaccinated.

Ebonyi State has not recorded any fresh case since the second wave of the COVID-19 surfaced.

Accept COVID vaccine, Emir of Kano tells Nigerians

The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, has called on Nigerians to accept the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19.

He made the call at his palace shortly after a special prayer session held to commemorate his first anniversary on the throne.

Shehu, CAN, NMA urge Borno people to accept vaccine

Some eminent Borno indigenes including, His Royal Highness, the Shehu of Borno, Dr Abubakar Ibn Umar Garbai Al-Amin Elkanemi, have called on the residents of the state to accept the coronavirus vaccines whenever the vaccination begins in the state.

The Shehu compared the COVID-19 vaccines to polio vaccines that citizens have been taking for years, saying that the vaccine has been certified by professionals.

In his reaction, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State Chapter, Bishop Mohammed Naga, said in regard to tribe, ethnicity and religious background the government should ensure that the vaccines reached the masses.

Also speaking, the State Chairman, National Medical Association (NMA), Dr Ali Ramat, said the frontline workers were ready to take the vaccines to protect themselves before administering it to others.

Meanwhile, UNICEF Immunisation Officer, Maiduguri Field Office, Mohammad Ibrahim, has said UNICEF is working closely with the Borno State government to facilitate the training of health workers which was held on Friday and Saturday last week.

Nigeria last Tuesday took delivery of about four million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as part of an overall 16 million doses planned to be delivered to the country in batches over the next few months.

The vaccine was provided by COVAX, an unprecedented global effort to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

From Christiana T. Alabi (Lagos), Usman A. Bello (Benin), Eyo Charles (Calabar), Nabob Ogbonna (Abakaliki), Peter Moses (Abeokuta), Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Mumini AbdulKareem  (Ilorin), Olatunji Omirin (Maiduguri), Hameed Oyegbade (Osogbo) & Sani Ibrahim Paki (Kano)