Don’t spread fake news about COVID-19 vaccines, says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State government, yesterday, kicked off the rollout, distribution, and administration of COVID-19 vaccines at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba.

The state took delivery of the first consignment of 507,000 vaccines allocated to it by the Federal Government on Tuesday.

Speaking after receiving its COVID-19 vaccination jab at the infection Disease Centre at 3:03 pm, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu implored residents to stop spreading fake information about the vaccination.

He said he did not feel any pain after receiving the jab, encouraging Lagos residents to come forward to take their vaccine.

Shortly after the governor received his jab, the deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat received his jab too.

Earlier, addressing a press conference at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba, Commissioner for Health and Deputy Covid-19 Incident Commander, Professor Akin Abayomi, who was the first person in Lagos to receive his jab, announced that vaccines have been scheduled into four phases, with frontline health workers topping the list.

Others billed to be vaccinated in the first phase include the Military, Port Healthy authorities, The Police, Judiciary and Rapid Response Workers, the aged, and those with co-morbidities.

According to the Commissioner, eighty-eight sites have been mapped out for the administration of the vaccine.

He urged those who meet the outlined phase one criteria to register to be vaccinated through the State Portal from Monday next week.

Abayomi re-emphasised that the vaccination was to boost immunity and there is no guarantee that those vaccinated would not be infected with coronavirus again.

Abayomi appealed to Lagos residents and Nigerians, in general, to make them available for vaccination when more vaccine becomes available.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, renewed the appeal to residents to continue to take preventive measures and urged media organisations to continue advocacy on the need for residents to get vaccinated.

Meanwhile, pregnant women and children under the age of eighteen are excluded from COVID19 vaccine administration.

Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, made the clarification while fielding questions from newsmen at Yaba.

Abayomi said the clinical test is still ongoing to know the stage of pregnancy to which the vaccine will be safe for mothers.

However, the Commissioner noted that women who are yet to get pregnant but are expectant are free to take the vaccine.

Abayomi urged residents who are interested to be vaccinated to register on the online portal, which will be circulated on Lagos State Ministry of Health social media platforms.

The Commissioner for Health and other officials were among those who received the Covid 19 Vaccination jab at the event.