Niger State Governor in North Central Nigeria, Abubakar Sani Bello has flagged-off COVID-19 vaccination in the State as he received the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine was administered to the Governor by his physician, Dr Shehu Ahmed at the Niger state Government House in Minna the State Capital on Wednesday.
Report shows that Niger State has received 74, 110 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, estimated for one per cent of the state population.
The Governor who was vaccinated alongside members of the state executive council said the state government was doing everything possible to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, even though some concerns have been raised by some persons in the public.
The Governor who further directed that any council member that refuses to get vaccinated should be barred from council meetings subsequently applauded the State Primary Healthcare for standing up to the occasion especially in the fight against the deadly virus.
Earlier, The Niger State Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Dr Muhammad Makusidi, explained that the vaccine was safe and efficacious as it had gone through scientific and clinical trials.
He said that those in the frontline could be the priority while calling on the public to get vaccinated and shun fake news about the vaccine and the virus.
The commissioner said that 10, 613 have been tested for COVID-19 in the state with over 900 positive cases reported, while only one person is on admission at present.
The Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, was first vaccinated followed by his Deputy Ahmed Mohammed Ketso and other Executive Council Members.
Zainab Sa’id
