Kogi State Government has on Monday night took delivery of about 16, 900 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and the inoculation exercise will be flagged on Tuesday, April 6.
Executive Director, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA), Dr Abubakar Yakubu, led a team of officials from the agency and the Ministry of Health to receive the vaccines at the Central Medical Store, Lokoja.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after taken delivery of the vaccines, Yakubu explained that the most awaited COVID-19 vaccines arrived the state from Abuja at about 7:40p.m., saying Kogi was well prepared for it.
“The first line of recipients of the vaccines are the health workers… The vaccine administration will be followed by the first line workers like the police, military, NSCDC, Customs officials, among others,” he said.
Dr Abubakar Yakubu noted that the ministry intended to carry out the campaign as efficient as it could because the state was behind scheduled compared to other states.
The Executive Director said kogi was initially expecting about 45,000 doses of the vaccine from the NPHCDA, which accounted for one per cent of the state’s total population.
“However, to our surprise we are being supplied with 16,900 doses now. I think there will be further reconciliation to send the balance of the doses as soon as possible,” he stated.
Also speaking, the Vaccine Security and Logistic Consultant, UNICEF Mr Olumide Ade-Yeye, said they were happy as a state to be part of those who would participate in COVID-19 vaccination.
NAN