Lagos govt decries low 2.8% COVID-19 vaccination rate

The Lagos State Government has decried the low COVID-19 vaccination rate among residents which currently stands at 2.8 per cent.

This was disclosed on Wednesday by Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who also noted that repetitive and continuous communication is key to responding to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abayomi made this disclosure at the ongoing National Summit on COVID-19 organised by the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19 in Abuja with the theme: “End the Pandemic and Build Back Better”.

“Lagos state had only vaccinated about 2.8 per cent of its population, leaving it susceptible to a fourth wave.

“New variant, the newly-discovered variant of concern, Omicron, makes the world susceptible to a fourth wave.

”Social gathering, highly anticipated social activities in December could lead to super spreader of events,” he said.

The health commissioner also said that the state has deployed strategies to keep its economy open.

In the response to the pandemic, the state announced guidelines and promulgated laws: Lagos state Infections Disease Regulation 2020 and Lagos State COVID-19, 2021, he noted.

“However, several individuals and organisations refused to abide by the guidelines and laws.

READ ALSO: Lagos experiencing fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic, says Sanwo-Olu

”These individuals and organisations have constituted themselves into public health risks to the citizen of the state and have also breached the law governing the management of the pandemic in the state,” he said.

Abayomi said that following the prosecutions of defaulters of the COVID-19 guidelines in the state, several meetings were held with relevant stakeholders.

He said it was concluded that bringing those individuals to justice would strengthen the state and would also reduce the number of cases of the virus.

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