Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has flagged-off COVID-19 vaccination in the State as he received the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The vaccine was administered on the Governor by his physician, Dr Shehu Ahmed at the Government House, Minna.
The Governor was vaccinated alongside members of the state executive council during the official flag-off of the vaccination,at the Government House, Minna , Niger state capital.
In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary Mary Noel-Berje, the governor said it was necessary to get vaccinated even though some concerns have been raised by some persons in the public, adding that the state government was doing everything possible to fight COVID-19 pandemic.
“We all need it, once it is done, we will be able to convince Nigerlites that it is safe”, he said.
The Governor directed that any council member that refuses to get vaccinated should be barred from council meetings subsequently.
He applauded the State Primary Healthcare for standing up to the occasion especially in the fight against the deadly virus.
Earlier, Commissioner for Health and Hospital Services, Dr. Muhammad Makusidi said that the state received 74, 110 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, estimated for one per cent of the state population.
Makusidi explained that the vaccine was safe and efficacious as it had gone through scientific and clinical trials.
He said that those in the frontline could be the priority while calling on the public to get vaccinated and shun fake news about the vaccine and the virus.
The commissioner said that 10, 613 have been tested for COVID-19 in the state with over 900 positive cases reported,while only one person is on admission at present.
The Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, took the first shot followed by his Deputy Ahmed Mohammed Ketso and other Executive Council Members.
