ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi-
No fewer 80,570 doses of the Oxford – AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have been received by the Bauchi State Government from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
The Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, who handed over the vaccines to the Deputy Governor, Baba Tela at the State Cold Store, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital on Wednesday, said that he received the consignment from the NPHCDA at the Zawan International Airport, Jos, Plateau State, at 7.30pm on Tuesday.
Dr. Mohammed who said that the state also received 80,570 syringes, 80,650 safety boxes as well as 80,570 adhesive plasters expressed surprise that the state was supposed to receive 150,000 doses of the vaccine but unfortunately, only a little bit over half of that quantity was given.
He said: “What the National Primary Health Care Development Agency approved for us during the national flag-off was not what we got. They did not give us the exact quantity that was scientifically calculated for every state”.
“Bauchi was supposed to receive 150,000 doses but unfortunately, we received 80,570 and we were surprised about that. These vaccines will not be enough but this is the quantity we were given.”
The Executive Chairman explained that the vaccines would be given to the frontline health care workers, the state governor, his deputy, members of the Bauchi State Executive Council, the Lawmakers, the military, paramilitary among others.
He said that as soon as the governor gives them the order, the administration of the vaccine will commence immediately.
He added that all those to be involved have been trained even as he said that 872 teams would be used in the 323 wards and 18 selected general hospitals across the state would be used.
“The second part of the training for health care workers at the local government and facility levels as well as independent monitors would be done on Thursday and Friday”.
“We have 872 teams in Bauchi that will carry out this vaccination work. 323 primary health care Centers where the vaccinations will take place and 18 general hospitals selected by the NPHCDA based on their peculiarities,” he stated.
The Deputy Governor who is also the Bauchi state Chairman of the Task Force on COVID-19, shortly after receiving the vaccines, expressed appreciation to the federal government for giving states the vaccines saying that this was timely.
He said: “Today, I have received the 80,570, Oxford – AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency by the PTF and the NCDC and that is to say, the federal government”.
“We are very grateful and thankful to the federal government for ensuring that these vaccines have arrived at the time they are needed. This is the time the COVID-19 is gaining grounds with three variants now in the country”.
“So, the arrival of these vaccines is timely and we thank the goverment for this feature. We want to assure the government that as they have indicated, the first stage of the vaccine will be administered to the frontline health workers because they are the first contact with the COVID-19 patients and there is a need to protect them.”
Tela said that for advocacy purposes, the political leadership, religious and traditional leaderships will so be vaccinated.
He added that “everybody who is involved with advocacy will also be given a shot of the vaccine so that people will see them taking it.”
He assured that people should not be afraid of being vaccinated because it has not side effects.
“I want to assure the people of this state and the country that this vaccine is very safe, it has been administered in so many other countries to hundreds of millions of people”.
“So, if there’s anything wrong with the vaccine, am sure, the World Health Organization would have asked for the stoppage of this vaccine,” he assured.
He said that the instruction is that the vaccines be administered with two weeks explaining that “the second dose will be released after we have exhausted this first batch and we’ll get a total of 150,000 doses in all.”
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