Kwara state Government has flagged off mass vaccination campaign against COVID-19 in Ilorin, the state capital.
Speaking at the event, the state Deputy governor, Mr. Kayode Alabi, who is also the chairman, state task force on Immunization, said the occasion was meant to flag off a renewed commitment to ensure the effect of the ravaging COVID-19 scourge was minimized on residents.
According to him the vaccines are safe and devoid of serious Adverse Events Following Immunization.
Mr Alabi said COVID-19 vaccine would reduce the number of illnesses and deaths from the virus.
In her address , the executive secretary ,Kwara state Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, said, “currently, close to 400,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine (Astra Zeneca and Moderna) had been administered in the state.
Dr. Elelu, said the state had not documented any serious adverse event following immunization despite the number of people vaccinated.
In a goodwill message the state Coordinator of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Princess Deborah Oladipo, said that a total number of 5,891,305 eligible persons have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, representing only 5.3 per cent of the overall eligible population in the country.
Princess Oladipo also said 3,252,067 had received their second dose and are fully vaccinated, representing only 2.9 per cent of the overall population of eligible persons in the country.
ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU