Govt inoculates 1.8m citizens in nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has revealed that a total of 1,794,552 Nigerians have so far been inoculated with the first dose of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The NPHCDA disclosed this on its official Twitter handle late Saturday.

It stated that Lagos, the FCT, and Kano have so far vaccinated the highest number of people – 279,372, 118,895, and 92,583 respectively.

The immunisation agency said that three states reached 100 per cent of their target population.

They are Kwara with 104 per cent; Ekiti with 100 per cent and Cross River with 100 per cent.

Read also: Gov Mohammed takes second dose of COVID-19 vaccine, decries Christians’ apathy for exercise

According to the agency, this brings the proportion of Nigerians vaccinated to 89.2 per cent.

It said that the second dose of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines had begun.

NPHCDA urged Nigerians, who had received their first dose of the vaccine, to ensure they check their vaccination cards to know when they were due for their second jab.

It stated that this would ensure that every Nigerian who receives a vaccine from the present supply, receives their second dose before the recommended time span between doses passes, “which is between six and 12 weeks’’.

The agency added that more than two million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been reserved for the second dose in the first phase of vaccination.

According to it, administering these two doses of the vaccine within the recommended time frame is very important to ensure full inoculation benefits.

“This means that with the current supply, we will fully inoculate roughly two million Nigerians.

“We are removing an element of risk that is becoming too high,’’ the agency tweeted.

By Mayowa Oladeji…

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