Nigeria on Friday commenced its COVID-19vaccination as a medical doctor, Dr. Cyprian Ngong, of the National Hospital,Abuja, received a jab of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine.
The Chairman of the Presidential TaskForce on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, BossMustapha, flagged off the exercise on behalf of the President, Major GeneralMuhammadu Buhari (retd.).
At the exercise on Friday, ExecutiveDirector, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaib,described the moment as a “watershed”.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire,also said it was crucial “to first cater for those who cater for us”.
Speaking after his vaccination, Ngong,who has been treating Covid patients at the National Hospital Isolation Centrein Abuja since the beginning of the fight last year, said he wished his fathertook the vaccine as he died of the lethal virus.
He said, “We’ve been at the forefronthere in National Hospital at the Isolation Centre under the able leadership ofthe National Hospital. They’ve provided everything we need for this fight.We’ve lost some, we’ve got some and we are happy we are getting the vaccinesnow in Nigeria. That is about the best news we’ve heard since. I only wished mydad had had this vaccine may be months ago or so. We lost him but we thank Godand the fight is still on and we will win.”
Nigeria had on Tuesday received aboutfour million doses of AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine shipped into thecountry through the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport.
The President and Vice-President YemiOsinbajo will, on Saturday, receive shots of the vaccines to dissipate vaccine
hesitancy amongst Nigerians.