...says two million people targeted for vaccination in 8 weeks
By Niyi Ogungbola
Ogun state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, on Monday, flagged off COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign, with the declaration that, within the period of 60 days all residents of the state must be vaccinated.
Governor Abiodun made this declaration at the flag-off ceremony held at the Arcade Ground at State Secretariat, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
Abiodun who gave a time window of 60 days to allow people to be vaccinated re-emphasized that, after the expiration of the 60 days
evidence of full vaccination will be required for anybody who wants to do business with government and for entry into government offices and schools.
According to him, *evidence of full vaccination will be required for anybody who wants to do business with government and for entry into government offices and schools, after the expiration of a given time window"
He gave the period for the vaccination exercise as from November 1 to December 25th this year within which everybody must have been vaccinated.
“As an administration, we will continue to do more to guarantee the safety of our people at this period of COVID-19 and beyond. We are committed to the provision of good health care system to our people. This we have continued to demonstrate, in practical terms, in the last 29 months of our Administration in Ogun Abiodun stressed.
According to him,the mass campaign,. Against COVID-19 was in partnership with National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA and Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board (OGPHECADEB), and meant to vaccinate more people from the age of 18 and above against the pandemic.
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Abiodun, who commended The Nation Solidarity Security Fund (NSSF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and all other stakeholders who have contributed to making the event a reality in Ogun, observed that “the programme is a demonstration of the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government towards ensuring that vaccination against the dreaded disease is extended to all Nigerians and in all parts of the country”.
He recalled that the index case of the pandemic was discovered in the state, saying his administration’s swift response mechanism helped in combating the disease within Ogun despite its proximity to Lagos, which is the epicenter of COVID-19.
“Through our competent, structured approach to governance issues, health facilities already in place, particularly since May 29, 2019, Ogun State has been able to fight the pandemic to a standstill. And, we have continued to demonstrate our resolve in the continued provision of good health-care for the people of Ogun State. This is why we have been able to combat the pandemic head-long despite our proximity to Lagos State, the epi-centre of the pandemic.
“Indeed, within weeks, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) commended our administration for efforts at curbing Corona virus spread. Both organizations were delightfully impressed and expressed their satisfaction with the quality of facilities on ground, the human capital and the willingness of our administration to go an extra mile at ensuring that Ogun State did not become a safe haven for the COVID-19 pandemic”, the governor added.
While noting that with the commencement of mass vaccination in Ogun, the state would surely achieve greater, Abiodun disclosed that the number of sites handling COVID vaccination has been increased from 131 to 509 across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state, in the primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities and some selected private hospitals.
The governor further declared that his administration would take the mass vaccination as part of the health measures and protocols in place at this period of pandemic.
“We cannot afford to lose our guards. We will ensure that the vaccination processes adequately administered in our healthcare facilities across all parts of our dear state. I enjoin our people to embrace this mass vaccination towards ensuring their safety and wellbeing against COVID-19.
“And, to demonstrate our seriousness to this vaccination exercise, we will give a time window to allow our people to get vaccine. After that, evidence of full vaccination will be required for anybody who wants to do business with government and for entry into government offices and schools”. Abiodun stated.
He noted that a total of 298,785 people in the state have had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 148,200 people have had their second dose.
“These figures imply that only about 5% of our total population have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while only 2.4% of the State’s total population are fully vaccinated. Let me assure our people and all those who have made our dear state their home that there is no need to panic in getting vaccinated.
“We are not unaware of misinformation making the rounds against the effectiveness and efficiency of the vaccines and vaccination against COVID. I must say that these rumours and propaganda are nothing but fallacies. Those who are peddling the misinformation are not doing the people, nations, and the entire humanity any good. In fact, we have all seen how the vaccine and vaccination have helped in the general fight against COVID, and recovery of the economies around the world”, he said.
Abiodun added: “This vaccination will ensure that we are more immune. It will strengthen our body system to fight the virus.
Meanwhile, only a healthy people can create more prosperity and contribute to the development of their communities. All of us should continue to take cognisance of the prescribed health safety and protocols. Our individual and collective efforts at this trying period will further provide the strong foundation on which the successful and continued implementation of our “Building our Future Together” Agenda is built.
“I acknowledge that the successes that we have recorded in the fight against COVID-19 in Ogun State so far are a pointer to the fact that our medical and health practitioners are already on top of the situation. To achieve more positive results, we need to take advantage of the mass vaccination as will be conducted by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (MPHCDA); and, the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board (OGPHECADEB) for the next few weeks in our dear state". Governor Abiodin stressed.
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