FG To Integrate Covid-19 Vaccination With Other Health Program

The Federal government has disclosed plans to integrate the administration of the covid-19 vaccines with other health services offered in the country.

Speaking at the state house press briefing on Thursday, the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib said that the move is aimed to encourage more vaccination coverage.

 
Shuaib explained that as of Thursday, a total of 1,961,883 Nigerians had received the first dose of the vaccine, of which 66 percent represent frontline workers, 22 percent are health care workers and 12 percent are for people of 50 years and above.

“As of today, a total of 1,961,883 of the targeted population has been vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine.

“Similarly, 148,258 have received their second dose across the 36 states and FCT.

“As we move into the second phase of the vaccination program, we encourage an “all family approach”, to integrate the vaccination program with other health programs.

“So if a mother who is under 40 years old comes to the vaccination post, we encourage her to come with her children who are under two years old, so that they can also get their routine vaccination. We are saying they can come as a family”  

“So this would give the family the opportunity to access health care at once,” he said.

Shuaib, speaking further, noted that the unpredictability of the vaccine supply poses a huge threat to the success of the program, as a result of the current global shortage in the production of the vaccines.

According to him, the second dose as prescribed by relevant bodies is expected to be administered at six weeks after the first dose.

“Unpredictability of the vaccine supply is a challenge to us, when we have a clear date of when the vaccine will come, it will help us to plan better

“Vaccination remains the safest and public health invention, and our priority will always be to get vaccines that are safe, well tested and effective'” he said.

Speaking further, Shuaib noted that efforts are ongoing to deepen engagements with traditional and religious leaders as a means to promoting citizens’ ownership and acceptance of vaccination drive.

“So with the covid 19 vaccination, we understand that there are people who are still hesitant and have doubt about the vaccine, we are engaging the religious leaders through the faith action association, to discuss how correct information about vaccination can be passed to Nigerians.

“We are aware of the fact that our traditional leader and religious leader are critical towards making sure that there was community ownership of the polio eradication drive.

The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire said that the Federal Executive Council had recently approved the installment of   38 oxygen plants across the 36 states including the FCT.

“Just yesterday, the Federal Executive Council approved 38 oxygen plants that are to be cited in all 36 states and FCT. But Lagos state, because of the high proportion of illness that they have had, will get 2 oxygen plants, and they will be completed within 20 weeks.

“Oxygen has been found to be the main therapeutic in dealing with acute covid 19, of course there are other medications that we have placed order for.

“We do not have full access to vaccines because we do not manufacture, but we are looking at collaboration in that regard.

“Our Access to vaccines have been very limited because the countries that deliver to would want to be able to take care of their need first.

“The over 4 million doses that we have received all came from Indian, and as we all know Indian is facing massive covid infection which is necessitating turning their vaccine production to themselves and their neighbourhood.

“So we were told that they cannot supply us now, until later in the year,” he said.