COVID-19: We Are Yet To Reach 70% Targets Of Vaccination-Health Minister

By AKOR SYLVESTER-Abuja

The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire has expressed concern over the recent slow space of COVID-19 vaccination in the country, saying more needed to be done to achieve the universal coverage.

He however commended the progress made in some parts of the country in the area of vaccination against the pandemic and polio virus.

Ehanire who delivered a key note address at the Quarterly Review Meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery in Abuja yesterday, said there was need for states to intensify efforts in the vaccination against the COVID-19 and polio virus.

He urged the traditional leaders to redouble their efforts in the sensitisation and enlightenment of their people at the community level.

He said; “looking back at our health indices in the Northern part of the country before this partnership, I must say that we have made remarkable progress especially in Polio eradication and routine immunisation.

“We will remain eternally grateful to your Eminence and all traditional Leaders for this steady progress.

However, we are still not at optimal performance yet. We still have a lot of work to do to achieve our collective goal of bequeathing a Primary Health care system that is responsive to the needs of the people.

“We need to further strengthen our community engagement through your royal highnesses to ensure that our people, especially the most vulnerable are protected by being fully vaccinated against Polio and COVID-19 and other childhood diseases.

“Your Eminence, as you are aware, the Federal Government of Nigeria has been doing all within its power to provide adequate quantity of COVID-19 Vaccines for the country.

“Let me use this opportunity to therefore assure all eligible Nigerians that we have enough vaccines for first, second and even booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines across all States in the country.

“Your Royal Highness, this is to urge you to continue to encourage our people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and other vaccine preventable diseases as NPHCDA has integrated all these services to ensure that every vaccination site serves as a one stop site for the vaccination of the entire family.

“We need to quickly increase coverage across all states to achieve our national target of vaccinating at least 70% of eligible populations 18years and older.

” I want to specially commend Nasarawa, Jigawa, Kano and Kaduna States who have the highest fully vaccinated persons and have reached the 70% target of fully vaccinated eligible population for COVID-19.

“I urge other states to emulate these states to enable the country build immunity against COVID-19 and reach the desired national coverage”,.

He used the opportunity to remind the Royal Highnesses to continue to sensitize their communities about the benefits of immunization and other PHC services, the risk of non-vaccination and in particular, to continue to promote COVID-19 vaccination in their domains.