Kogi State government has begun vaccinating residents in the state against COVID-19 despite calling the existence of the virus a hoax.
Governor Yahaya Bello had in widely circulated in January told a jeering crowd not to take the vaccines.
“They want to use the (COVID-19) vaccines to introduce the disease that will kill you and us. God forbid!” he had said.
“These vaccines are being produced in less than one year of COVID-19. There is no vaccine yet for HIV, malaria, cancer and for several diseases that are killing us… We should draw our minds back to what happened in Kano during the polio vaccines that crippled and killed our children. We have learned our lessons.
“If they say they are taking the vaccines in the public allow them take their vaccines. Don’t say I said you should not take it but if you want to take it open your eyes before you take the vaccines,” the governor had said.
However, in a twist of event, the state government has officially flagged off the vaccination of citizens for Covid19 with a pledged not to forcefully administer the jab on anybody nor will it deprive anyone from taking the vaccines “even as the state is pandemic free.”
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Saka made the disclosure at the official flag-off of the vaccination exercise of citizens in the State on Tuesday.
According to the Commissioner, the State Government took delivery of about 16,900 units of the Vaccines, adding that an equal number of Astrazeneca Oxford vaccines were being expected in the State in a couple of weeks.
Dr. Saka Commended Gov. Yahaya Bello “for his proactive measures towards protecting the lives of its citizens, thanking him for making the Vaccines available to people of the State.”
Highlights of the flag off of the vaccination was the vaccination of top government officials including, the Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr.Abubakar Yakubu.
Daily Trust observes that the medical team administrating the vaccines is readily available but people taking them are few.
It was gathered that the low turn out couldn’t be unconnected to the impression “that the vaccines are fake and that those taking them are liable to die not long after.”
Bello has not taken the vaccine and no reason was advanced but has always advanced his stance on the nonexistence of the pandemic in the state.
All efforts to get the commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo to comment on the governor’s absence from the vaccination exercise did not yield any result as he didn’t pick calls or respond to text messages sent to him.
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