Kano state Governor Dr. Umar Ganduje has been vaccinated with a dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine and urged people of the state to register and make themselves available for the vaccination exercise in order to end the pandemic.
The vaccine was administered on the governor at exactly 2:49 pm local time on Thursday and awarded a certificate at the Murtala Specialist Hospital, Kano.
Other officials also vaccinated
The inoculation of Governor Ganduje was followed by that of the Secretary to the state government, Alhaji Usman Alhaji, the state Commissioner for Health, a female and a male health worker, a former Deputy Governor of Borno state, Ali Abubarka, a staff of World Health Organization, WHO and UNICEF, the Hard Technical Team Kano Covid-19 Response Team among many others.
Ganduje shortly after taking the vaccine said the commencement of the exercise marks the beginning of the end of the Covid-19 pandemic in the second biggest commercial city in Nigeria.
“Today we have the first public vaccination of the Covid-19 vaccine in Kano and I believe this is the beginning of the end the Covid-19 pandemic in Kano State.
We therefore urge people of the state to get registered in the nearest facilities to take the vaccine.
We have well trained and committed staff for the exercise including cold chain for storage; what remains now is the willingness of the people to make themselves available for the vaccination”, Ganduje said.
He called on the people to come out in full force for the vaccination exercise so that Kano state can kick out Covid-19 the way Poliomyelitis was kicked out of Nigeria.
The Governor thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for procuring the vaccine and making them available for Nigerians including Kano people.
The Kano state Commissioner for Health, Dr.Aminu Tsanyawa said Covid-19 has no cure so the best way of tackling it is through prevention while vaccination remains the most important and best preventive measure.
“This is the reason the Kano state government has accepted vaccination as preventive measure with the 509,520 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine received so far”, he said.
Tsanyawa said 509 facilities have been put in place at the state, local government and ward levels, stressing that storage facilities have also been provided for the vaccine down to local governments and that healthcare workers have been trained on how to administer the vaccine.
Series of meetings have been held by the state government with stakeholders to ensure the vaccine is accepted by the people amidst rumours and conspiracy theories.
Nneka Ukachukwu
