States on Tuesday started receiving their consignments of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine with Lagos collecting 507,000 doses, Nasarawa, 61,000; Ekiti, 52,960 and Ondo, 75,570.
Officials of the states disclosed these figures to The PUNNCH in separate interviews just as one of our correspondents gathered that between 150,000 and 160,000 doses would be given to Katsina State.
Recall that the Federal Government on Tuesday last week received 3.94 million doses of the vaccine from COVAX facility, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI and the World Health Organisation.
On Monday, 50,000 doses of the vaccine were given to Ogun State by the Federal Government.
More states got their allocations on Tuesday. The Nasarawa State Government said it had received 61,000 doses of the vaccine.
The state Deputy Governor, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, disclosed this to journalists as the state Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Adamu, said the state had started vaccinating frontline medical workers.
Also, the Benue State Government disclosed that it had 50,000 doses.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mrs Ngunan Adingi, who disclosed this to one of our correspondents, explained that the state action committee on COVID-19 would soon meet to decide on when the vaccination would begin.
Adingi said, “We just received 50,000 doses of vaccine for the state. The committee on COVID-19 would meet to decide when the vaccination would begin.” FCT receives 219,800 COVID-19 vaccine doses, sets up vaccination centres
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, on its part, said about 219, 800 doses of the vaccine were given to the state.
The acting Secretary, FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, Dr Mohammed Kawu, who disclosed this in Abuja, also explained that several vaccinators had been trained, adding that the administration would begin the vaccination soon.
He stated, “The vaccine doses allocated to the FCT are 219, 800. The vaccine doses are in our cold store and we do not have any issue with our level of preparedness. We have trained our vaccinators.” Although the Katsina State Executive Secretary of the Primary Health Care Agency, Dr Yahaya Shamsudeen, said the state would receive its allocation next week, a top official of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, who confided in one of our correspondents, said between 150,000 and 160,000 doses would be given to the state.
Yahaya, however, said the state had begun the training of health workers.
But the NPHCDA official, who confided in The PUNCH, stated, “ Based on the number of the frontline health workers and others that the state sent to Abuja, the state is to receive between 150,000 and 160,000 doses and this will be anytime next week.”
The Coordinator of the Ekiti State COVID-19 Response Task Force, Prof Bolaji Aluko, stated that the state government had taken delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine for the state.
Aluko who said the Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Filani, would announce details of the vaccine, said that it arrived on Tuesday evening.
“It is in the neighbourhood of 52,960 doses. It has been announced that the vaccination will begin with healthcare workers and strategic leaders,” Aluko said.
Ondo receives 75,570 doses
Also on Tuesday, the Ondo State Government confirmed the arrival of the vaccine in the state.
The Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Adesegun Fatusi, told The PUNCH that the state received 57, 570 doses of the vaccine.
He said, “ We received the vaccine this (Tuesday) evening and we received 57, 570 doses.”
The state Epidemiologist, Dr Stephen Fagbemi had earlier said the state had begun training for the vaccinators which would be completed this week, after which the vaccination would commence.
Although Osun State received its vaccine on Tuesday, its officials said the quantity would only be disclosed after it had been handed over to the state Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Public Health, Dr Siji Olamiju, when contacted, pleaded for time before the number of doses would be disclosed, saying Oyetola would announce it.
A statement by the Information Officer, Office of the Secretary to the state Government, Jelili Tiamiyu, explained that the vaccine meant for Osun,Ondo, and Ekiti states arrived at Akure Airport on Tuesday evening.
The statement read in parts, “Leading the state of Osun medical team to receive the vaccine on behalf of the state government were the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Usamot; the Special Adviser to Governor on Public Health, Siji Olamiju and the Chairman of the Primary Health Care Development Board, Leke Ogunsola at exactly 07:11 pm today (Tuesday).”
While Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Nasarawa and Ekiti states received their consignments on Tuesday, the Cross River State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu, said the state would receive its vaccine doses on Thursday.
she stated, “The CACOVID schedule says Cross River State flights arrive airport on Thursday by 10am.”
She was, however, silent on the quantity allocated to the state.
Also, the Akwa Ibom State Government said it had yet to receive its share of the vaccine.
The state Commissioner of Health, Professor Augustine Umoh, stated, “We have not received ours yet. It comes in batches. The South-West is being given now. When it is our turn, you will see it. We cannot begin vaccination until we get the vaccine.”
SOURCE: PUNCH NIGERIA
