No fewer than 68,666 consignments of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been received by the Sokoto State government from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA.
The vaccines was received by the Sokoto State Taskforce Committee on COVID-19 headed by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Muhammad Ali Inname at Sultan Abubakar the III International Airport, Sokoto.
Briefing Journalists shortly after receiving the vaccines, Dr Inname said Sokoto has made adequate arrangement to ensure the safety of the vaccines.
He added that the state had made provisions for storage as well as plans to sensitize the public on the importance of the vaccine.
He explained that frontline health workers and other health workers across all health facilities in the state would be on priority list to be first vaccinated.
Next will be political leaders as well as traditional rulers and religious leaders.
The Commissioner commended President Muhammad Buhari for his unrelenting effort in the fight against COVID-19 across the country.
While reacting to the delivery, the Chief Field Officer, UNICEF, Sokoto Field Office in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara State, Mohammadeen Fall, described the development as a “commendable one”.
According to Fall, making the vaccine available goes to show that the president is committed to the good health of all Nigerians.
He also noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s action of publicly taking the Covid-19 vaccine removed doubts in the minds of many Nigerians.
Recipient states
Similarly the Kebbi state officials led by it’s Executive Secretary Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Muhammad Ka’oje, said the state had also taken delivery of 57,810 doses of the vaccine.
Ka’oje added that Kebbi state has deviced a sensitization strategy using prominent people and traditional rulers as well as engaging the media to counter the anti-vaccine campaigns in and around the state
According to him, storage facilities was not a challenge for Kebbi state as adequate provisions have been made to ensure safety of the vaccines.
He explained that the state will not receive vaccine beyond their storage capacity.
On the efficacy of the vaccine, Ka’oje explained that the vaccine has been proven to induce the immunity of people that take it.
Emmanuel Ukoh
