As A’Ibom Assembly urges sensitisation, categorisation of vaccination
Delta State Government has received the first batch of 85,700 doses of COVID-19 vaccines from the Federal Government to fight the pandemic.
State commissioner for Health, Dr. Ononye Mordi, who disclosed this at a media briefing in Asaba, said Governor Ifeanyi Okowa would commence roll out of the vaccines at the Asaba Specialist Hospital and would thereafter receive the vaccine while other workers follow suit.
“Some people say COVID-19 vaccine is a mark of the devil, but I know that it is like any other vaccine that makes chances of survival from a virus or disease,” he said.
He revealed that the vaccines would be kept in the 64 state hospitals and some selected health centres across the state.
The commissioner explained that the state would prioritise administration of the distributed vaccines on frontline health workers in the public and private sectors, traditional rulers, journalists and security personnel.
General hospitals across the state would be designated posts for the vaccination of healthcare workers while temporary posts yet to be determined would be set up for other non-medical frontline workers, he said.
On the N1b received from Federal Government as COVID-19 palliative, he said the money was used to buy equipment and improve the working allowance of health workers.
MEANWHILE, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has directed the Ministry of Health, Information and Strategy, as well as the Ethical and Attitudinal Re-Orientation Commission to embark on aggressive and rigorous sensitisation campaign to enlighten the people on the efficiency of COVID-19 vaccines.
This followed a motion brought by representative of Etinan State Constituency, Aniefiok Dennis, titled: COVID 19: Imperative Need To Embrace Vaccination.
It also urged the state government and relevant agencies to categorise those to be vaccinated with the first batch of the vaccines and make public, schedules and centres where the exercise would take place.
The Guardian recalled that the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Vincent, received 69,030 doses of Astrazeneca vaccine from the Federal Government on Wednesday, March 10, 2021, with assurances that the vaccine was safe.
