President Muhammadu Buhari and Osinbajo have just received their first COVID-19 vaccine jabs, at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.
The President was injected with the vaccine by his Chief Personal Physician, Dr Shuaib Rafindadi Sanusi, while the Vice President was injected by Dr Nicholas Odifre, Personal Physician to the Vice President.
President Buhari and Osinbajo fall into the second phase of the rollout of the covid-19 vaccination, after frontline health workers & strategic leadership.
Before the COVID-19 jabs were administered on Buahri and Osinbajo, Dr Cyprian Nyong, a frontline caregiver working with COVID-19 patients at the National Hospital isolation centre since March 2020, was the first Nigerian to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab.
Dr Cyprian Nyong got his jab on Friday, to kick start the national flag-off of the COVID-19 vaccination at National Hospital, Abuja. The health workers were the first sets of people administered with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 jab.
President Buhari after taking the jab, said:
“Yesterday, our frontline medical personnel, top on the priority list, were vaccinated. Today, as a demonstration of leadership and faith in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, the Vice President and I received our first jabs.
I wish to commend it to all eligible Nigerians, to do same so that we can be protected from the virus.
“I urge all state governments, traditional and religious leaders, to take the lead in the mobilization effort within their environment and spheres of influence. The vaccine offers hope for a safe country, free of Coronavirus.
The vaccine offers hope for a safe country, free of Coronavirus. I similarly urge all eligible Nigerians to present themselves and be vaccinated in accordance with the order of priority already mapped out, at the various authorized designated centres only“.
In attendance at the brief ceremony had on Saturday 6th March 2021, were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Mustapha; Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire; Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.