Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun on Monday took delivery of 50,000 doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine donated to the state by the Federal Government.
The governor received the vaccines at the Governor’s office, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, shortly after the arrival of the state team led by Commissioner of Health, Dr Tomi Coker.
Abiodun told newsmen that Ogun is the first state to receive the vaccines, saying the 50,000 doses make the first batch of vaccines expected. Another batch of 50,000 doses is expected arrived between Monday night and Tuesday.
Nigeria’s index case for COVID-19 came through Ogun, after an Italian national arrived on 27 February 2020.
Abiodun said he and his Deputy, Engineer Noimot Salako-Oyedele, would lead the vaccination at a later date to be fixed by the state medical team.
The governor, however, warned against snubbing of safety protocols, saying vaccines would only reduce the severity of the virus.
He said, “We will commence vaccination in line with the scheduled guidelines laid down by NPHCDA. They have identified particular state hospitals, general hospitals, primary health care centres across the state that would be used for this vaccination.
“I’m sure you are aware that there is a portal that already exists and there is a link that allows you to register or preregister and identify your local government so it can as close to the available centre as possible.
“We will be prioritising our front line health workers, our elders and we go down the line as stipulated by NPHCDA.
“Definitely, we are beginning to see the end of this pandemic that has disrupted our lives like we have never anticipated in the last 13 months.
“But this is not an opportunity to throw our masks away. This vaccine that we are getting, the protocol is that we get the first shot and then we get the booster shots and it is not until we get that booster shots that we have the required level of immunity.
“Even at that, what science tells us is that it is meant to reduce the severity of disease so the COVID-19 protocols and guidelines will still continue to obtain.”
