Health

THE Oyo State Government has begun ‘Scale 3.0 Vaccination Campaign’ to protect residents against COVID-19 pandemics.

This is contained in a statement by the state Ministry of Information, made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Saturday.

At the event which was held on Friday at the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Ibadan, Dr Taiwo Ladipo, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, said about 30 per cent of people in the state had been vaccinated.

He noted that the target was to ensure at least 70 per cent of people residing in the state got vaccinated.

The commissioner said with the fourth wave of covid-19 gradually sweeping across Nigeria, not less than 70 per cent of people in Oyo state were unprotected through vaccination from the virus.

Ladipo stated that more people needed to be vaccinated to be protected against the virus, which had resulted to sickness and death in the past.

“Up to 30 per cent of people have been vaccinated with either one or more doses. The goal is not 30 per cent but 70.  We need to ensure that people have the vaccine.

“This is another opportunity for those that have not had three doses of the covid-19 vaccine to do so.

“The battle against covid-19 is not lost, but we do not want to loose, so everyone needs to be involved in the vaccination process so that everyone is assured to be safe from the virus,” he added.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji, said that the ‘Scale 3.0 COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign’ was to aggressively increase the vaccination process towards protecting lives as Nigeria experienced the fourth wave.

According to him, the state has in store various variants of the COVID-19 vaccines and they are safe as proven by many people that have taken the vaccine since 2020 who are still alive and healthy.

Olatunji, however, urged everyone to preach the benefits attributed to COVID19 vaccination to members of their community, to encourage them to take the vaccine for their safety.

Also, Dr Philips Zorto, the World Health Organisation’s State Coordinator, decried poor response to health interventions by the people.

He admonished residents to get vaccinated and mobilise others for the exercise.

Zorto stated that the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state was small, unlike other states in the country.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists, Oyo State branch, Mr Abiodun Gbadamosi, said that 24 pharmaceutical shops across the state had been integrated into the vaccination team to provide COVID-19 vaccination in the communities.

According to him, the pilot project involved Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, USAID Medicines, Technologies and Pharmaceutical Services programme and Breakthrough Action Nigeria, to ensure more people gain access to the vaccine and stem hesitancy at the community level.  (NAN)

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Tags: Covid-19 Dr Muideen Olatunji Dr Philips Zorto Dr Taiwo Ladipo the World Health Organisation