TheCable

Every state in the country has received supplies of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine except Kogi.

Faisal Shuaib, executive director, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), made the development known on Thursday.

Shuaib said Kogi state was yet to receive “due to the non-repair of their cold-chain store coupled with the state’s concerns around the contradictory information about the vaccines”.

Yahaya Bello, Kogi governor, had recently said COVID-19 is not an issue in his state, noting that he will not subject the people to vaccination.

The NPHCDA executive director spoke on the vaccine roll-out after the national economic council (NEC) meeting.

He said: “The vaccination application has been launched in most states’ treatment centres even against distractions and criticism of the FG’s efforts to ensure availability of vaccines in the nation.

“The roll-out of the vaccines across healthcare front-line workers and other health support staff was scheduled to commence by March 15, 2021, in some States, with the intention of wider coverage after the training of the states’ health workers across board.”

Shuaib said the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) “had been co-opted to support the PTF on Vaccine Accountability to ensure the safekeeping of the vaccines”.

He also stressed the “need for tight security around the vaccines in the states to avoid being vandalised by hoodlums”.

The NPHCDA executive director assured that Nigeria will receive the second tranche of vaccines before the second dose intake is concluded.