Anambra State Government has flagged off the COVID-19 mass vaccination exercise in the state, which kickstarted on Tuesday, December 7th 2021, and will end on January 5, 2022, in all the apex primary health care centres across all the 326 wards in the State and selected private health facilities and other public spaces, Anambra State Broadcasting Service reports.
According to the report, Governor Willie Obiano while flagging off the COVID-19 mass vaccination exercise at Anambra State Immunization Cold Store at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, restated the resolve of the State Government to meet the global target of reaching seventy percent of the population by the end of June, 2022.
Specifically, Governor Obiano who was represented by the Commissioner of Health, Dr Vincent Okpala said the State targets to inoculate at least fifty percent of the population of Ndị Anambra by the end of January 2022.
He said this is very important at this time especially if the success already made in keeping the virus at alms length in the state will be sustained as he urged Ndi Anambra to ensure they receive their vaccination as it is the only assured protection against the disease.
The Executive Secretary, Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu said the COVID-19 mass vaccination exercise hopes to reach every one Anambra from age 18 and above at their doorsteps with the exercise now going on in three hundred and thirty primary health care Centres, sixty private health care facilities and sixteen special Centres including in schools, shopping malls and other open spaces.
Speaking on behalf of the partners of the State Government such as the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, World Health Organization, WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Dr Edward Okeke of WHO reassured Ndị Anambra that the COVID-19 vaccine has been tested and confirmed safe while underscoring that the more the delay in achieving herd immunity, the more the virus develops adaptive features which will continue to enhance its circulation.
Later at the COVID-19 mass vaccination Flag-off, the UNICEF Consultant for Anambra State, Mr Diden Gbofeyin handed over a 50KVA generator to Anambra State Government for use at the State Immunization Cold Store and seven hundred and seven megaphones for social mobilization on Immunization and other equipment which shall be distributed to the local government health authorities immediately.