The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says the states of Ogun, Nasarawa, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti have been ranked top in ramping up of COVID-19 vaccination.
The NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr Faisal Shuiab, made the disclosure on Monday in Abuja at the National Briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee ( PSC) on COVID-19.
“We have been monitoring how states have been intensifying the ramp up of COVID-19 vaccination. We have ranked them according to performance.
”As of today, the top five states are, 1st: Ogun State, 2nd: Nasarawa State, 3rd: Oyo State, 4th: Osun State and 5th: Ekiti State.
“We will continue to provide you with daily updates of how governors of states are leading the effort to ensure their citizens are fully protected with COVID-19 vaccination,” he said.
On the Dec. 1, 2021 deadline for vaccine mandate for civil servants, Shuiab said that starting from Dec.1, Federal Government employees would be required to show evidence of being vaccinated against COVID-19, or a negative PCR result done within 72 hours before being allowed into their offices.
“To further ease access to COVID-19 vaccines by government employees, we have also commenced office-to-office vaccination in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
”What this simply means is that employees who are yet to be vaccinated will find a vaccination site around their offices to register and get vaccinated.
”This will help in preventing the excuse of having to leave their place of employment to a distant vaccination site,” he said.
According to Shuiab, from time to time, civil servants will be picked at random to check or assess their COVID-19 antibody titre to detect persons who may have fraudulently acquired the vaccination cards without vaccination.
” Anyone who has been found to have fraudulently obtained the vaccination card without vaccination would be handed over to the law enforcement authorities.
”The vaccines are free and are available at sites close to you.
“We have also engaged and are collaborating with the Nigerian Military, Police and the Para-Military institutions in the establishment of mass vaccination sites in their locations around the country.
”We will also be assisting with the deployment of our vaccination teams to all sites identified by these institutions,” he said.
Shuiab called on Nigerians and residents to take the COVID-19 vaccination.
He said that every COVID-19 infection gave the coronavirus a chance to mutate, adding that being vaccinated helped prevent variants.
”At this point, we would also like to address the myth that says if one has had the COVID-19 disease and has recovered from it, they are protected and do not need to get vaccinated.
P” This is false as studies have shown that if you have had COVID-19 before and are not vaccinated, your risk of getting reinfected is more than two times higher than those who were infected and got vaccinated.
“We are aware that people hesitate to get vaccinated against COVID-19 for many reasons ranging from personal views and fears to logistical problems of getting to vaccination sites.
“But waiting too long to be vaccinated allows the virus to continue spreading in the community with the emergence of new variants.
“Severe COVID-19 can be very dangerous, so the sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you are protected,” he said.
The NPHCDA boss said this was a period of intensive drive to protect Nigerians against this new variant and indeed a 4th wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the Agency was not taking anything for granted and not compromising on safety and standards, but fully monitoring all adverse events following immunisation (AEFI).
”But as I have always appealed, we need the support of all Nigerians.
”We need every vaccinated Nigerian to appeal to their family members, their loved ones, their neighbours, and members of their communities to get vaccinated so that we are all protected.
”It is indeed a collective responsibility,” he said.
According to him, this is a clarion call to those who had yet to be vaccinated to hurry up and take advantage of our mass vaccination campaign to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
Shuiab said that those who had received their first dose should also endeavour to go and get their second dose on their due dates, for full protection. (NAN)