Kogi State Government has eventually taken delivery of about 16,900 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Abubakar Yakubu, Executive Director of Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), led a team of officials from the agency and Kogi Ministry of Health to receive the vaccines at National Programme on Immunization (NPI) Unit of the State Central Medical Store, Lokoja on Monday night.
Governor Yahaya Bello has repeatedly denied the existence of the virus in his state, saying COVID-19 is the “minute aspect” of what the state is currently addressing, adding that Kogi is tackling diseases like Yellow Fever and Lassa Fever, without much noise about its efforts.
Bello has repeatedly violated social distancing rules, among other protocol to curb the spread of the virus.
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Bello has also previously discouraged the use of COVID-19 vaccine, alleging that the jabs are meant to kill people.
He doubted the authenticity of the vaccine, saying why is there is no cure for HIV and many other diseases troubling mankind.
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However, speaking to newsmen shortly after receiving the vaccine, Yakubu said the most awaited COVID-19 vaccines arrived Kogi from Abuja at about 7:40 pm, saying the state was well prepared for vaccination process.
He stated;
We have about 16,900 doses of the vaccine, and by tomorrow Tuesday we hope to flag off the campaign in the Ministry of Health.
The firstline of recipients of the vaccines are the health workers which will be demonstrated on Tuesday by 12 noon at the ministry. The vaccine administration will be followed by the frontline essential non health workers like the police, military, NSCDC, Custom men among others.
Yakubu added that the Ministry intended to carry out the campaign as efficient as they could because the state was a bit behind scheduled compared to other States, who had almost completed their 10 days mandatory campaign for the administration of the vaccines.
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The Executive Director noted that the state was initially expecting about 45,000 doses of the vaccines from NPHCDA, which accounted for one per cent of the total population of Kogi State.
He stated;
To our surprise, we are being supplied with 16,900 doses now, I think there will be further reconciliation to send the balance of the doses as soon as possible.
Also speaking, Alh. Acheku Yusuf, Kogi State Health Promotion Officer, said the Ministry had solicited the support of all relevant stakeholders, and running jingles to ensure adequate sensitisation of the people about the vaccines.
On her part, Mrs Bilikisu Adagiri, the State Cold Chain Officer, said the state was fully prepared for the administration of the vaccines to people above 18 years.
Kogi is the last state in the country to receive a batch of the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine owing to the stance of the state government on the infection.
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Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor, previously said COVID-19 was not an issue in his state, noting that he will not subject the people to vaccination.
He also stated that he would not take COVID-19 vaccine as he is hale and hearty, stressing President Muhammadu Buhari may have received it, but he would not.
According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), out of the over 163,330 COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, Kogi has only 5 confirmed infections, of which 3 have been discharged and two deaths.
It however noted that the figure may not be the true toll as COVID-19 testing has been halted in the state.
