ENUGU, EBONYI , ANAMBRA STATES RECEIVE COVID-19 VACCINE
Reporter : CHUKWUBUIKE MADU
Three South East States of Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra have taken delivery of COVID-19 Vaccine.
The Oxford Astrazeneca brand of the COVID-19 vaccine arrived at Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu at 2:45pm Wednesday on board a chartered air cargo.
Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ike Obi, who took delivery of the state’s share of the vaccine, noted that frontline workers and patients in critical health conditions would be the first set of people to receive the vaccine.
“The first phase of this vaccines are going to go very clearly to some key stakeholders in the state: the frontline health care workers and then we are going to identify the key elderly people with underlying disease conditions,” the Health Commissioner stated.
Dr. Obi, though could not readily give the account of the number of doses delivered to Enugu State, explained that more vaccines were expected.
“The necessary documentation that has come is with us. We need to make some scientific interpretation for specific numbers as to which doses we will get. Do not take away these numbers that can be misconstrued by people.
“We want people to be rest assured that the delivery of the vaccines is happening in phases. The vaccination is probably going to go in about four phases and it will continue until everyone that is at risk will be reached,” Dr. Obi assured.
Also answering questions from journalists, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ESPHCDA), Dr. George Ugwu, gave an assurance that the state had made adequate arrangements for preservation, security and administration of the vaccine.
“We just concluding the series of training for the health workers who are going to administer these vaccines and we are set.
“Our cold chain system is able to handle temperatures +2 to +8 which this vaccine is the recommended temperature control.
“Any moment from now we will start distributing this vaccine and giving it to our citizens here in Enugu State,” Dr. Ugwu remarked.
On security of the vaccines during distribution to the rural areas, Dr. Ugwu said:
“As we move it to any local government headquarters, the vigilante and the Chairman of the council there take over security and make sure that our vaccine is very secured and delivered to the people of Enugu State.”
Meanwhile, the Enugu State health officials of UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, WHO, who were present at the airport assured the people of the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, which they also described as safe.