Federal Government of Nigeria has assured eligible Nigerians of free vaccination as COVID-19 vaccine arrived in the country.
The vaccines, according to government, would arrive in batches.
Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha gave this assurance at the kick-off of the vaccination of frontline workers in the country.
Mustapha enjoined Nigerians to be patient with relevant agencies of federal government and subnational entities managing the deployment process.
He urged citizens not to patronise fraudsters and be vigilant, as the vaccine is a life saving commodity.
The vaccination kicked off with frontline workers taking the jab.
Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire said the administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on health workers was to honour them for their labour since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.
Ehanire advised that citizens must continue to abide by the NCDC guidelines on Covid-19 irrespective of being vaccinated or not, pending the time everyone in the country is vaccinated and safe.
He urged Nigerians to protect the vaccine and report any fraudulent act of sales, adding that it was an asset to the country.
Health Minister noted that persons under the age of 18 and pregnant women were for now not eligible to the vaccine except they had been medically certified due to their vulnerability to an underlying ailment or another.
According to him, this was because there’s no scientific assessment of their safety yet.
Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, while speaking on why it took longer time before the vaccine got to the country, noted that it was not how fast the country was able to get the vaccines but getting the right vaccines for the environment mattered..
Shaibu promised that the jab would be rolled out in efficient manner just like the country was able to defeat polio virus.
The highpoint of the event had the vaccination of the first Nigerian, Dr Cyprian Ngong who had been a frontline worker at the treatment center in the National Hospital, Abuja, since the outbreak of the virus in the country.
Ngong after the vaccination appreciated the federal government for giving him the opportunity of being vaccinated first in the country.
He therefore urged citizens accross the nation to get the vaccine, adding that it is safe and free
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