Covid-19: Ogun begins health workers vaccination

Following the recent delivery of the Covid-19 vaccines to the Ogun State Government, the Governor, Dapo Abiodun has ordered that the front line workers who are mostly health workers be given priority because they are the ones who are mostly exposed.

It is clear that the governor was not playing politics with the order as health workers across health facilities in the state have started receiving the vaccination since Wednesday.

Speaking at the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta after the commencement of the Vaccination exercise of healthcare workers, the Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker said all health workers in the state would be vaccinated.

“We have started vaccinating health care workers and other staff in the state. Those who received the first dose of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine today will be receiving another dose after 3 months,” Coker said.

The Commissioner added that the first batch of vaccines arrived Ogun State on Monday comprising of 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccines allocated to the state by the Federal Government, saying, “we have priorities to cover front line health care workers across the state.”

According to her, “Ogun is the first in the country to receive the vaccines and we have started inoculating front line healthcare workers. We have identified the State Hospitals with cold chain facilities to store the vaccines.”

The Commissioner further said that as of Wednesday, Ogun State’s COVID-19 case tally stood at over 4,495 including at least 48 deaths and more than 4184 recoveries, adding that more vaccines would be delivered to the state when another batch of the 16million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine procured by the Federal Government arrive in the country.

The Permanent Secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Nafiu Aigoro described the vaccines as very safe, adding that healthcare workers and members of the public should avail themselves of the opportunity to be vaccinated.

The Chief Medical Director of State Hospital Ijaye, Kayode Oladenide after receiving the vaccine, said: ”2020 had been a ‘dreadful’ year but life would get back to normal in the coming months. Now, it is easier to be more efficient in caring for our patients, having received the vaccine”.