Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has finally received over 16, 900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday night, April 5, 2021, and set to begin the vaccination on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
The Executive Director of the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), Dr Abubakar Yakubu, led a delegation from the agency and the Kogi State Ministry of Health to the Central Medical Store in Lokoja to collect the vaccines.
Yakubu told reporters shortly after receiving the vaccines that the much-anticipated COVID-19 vaccines arrived the state from Abuja at about 7:40 p.m., adding that Kogi was well prepared.
“The health staff are the first line of vaccine recipients, the vaccine will be administered by first-line staff such as police, military, NSCDC, and Customs officials, among others,” he explained.
Yakubu stated that the ministry intended to carry out the vaccination campaign as efficiently as possible because the state was behind schedule in comparison to other states that had almost completed their 10-day mandatory vaccination campaign.
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According to the Executive Director, the state was expecting about 45,000 doses of the vaccine from the NPHCDA, which accounted for one percent of the state’s total population.
“However, we are now being supplied with 16,900 doses, much to our surprise. “I hope there will be further reconciliation in order to give the remaining doses as soon as possible,” he said.
Alhaji Acheku Yusuf, Kogi Health Promotion Officer, who also spoke, said that the ministry had enlisted the help of all relevant stakeholders and was running jingles to ensure that people were properly informed about the vaccine.
Mrs Bilikisu Adagiri, the State Cold Chain Officer, said that the state was completely prepared to administer vaccines to people over the age of 18.
Olumide Ade-Yeye, UNICEF Kogi’s Vaccine Protection and Logistic Consultant, also added that the state was pleased to be among those who would be vaccinated against COVID-19.
