Enugu frontline health workers get first jabs  

…Commend Gov. Ugwuanyi’s commitment to curbing pandemic

…Encourage residents to embrace vaccine

The Enugu State government, on Friday, commenced COVID-19 vaccination in the state, starting with frontline health workers at the ESUT Teaching Hospital Isolation and Treatment Centre, Parklane, Enugu.

Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. George Ugwu, stated that the decision to start with frontline health workers was in line with the protocol of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to give priority to those heath personnel working in the isolation and treatment centres.

Dr. Ugwu confirmed that the Enugu State government received 65,410 doses of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, following the historic event that took place at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Wednesday.

The Executive Secretary disclosed that his agency is ready for the vaccination and had trained the health personnel that will administer the vaccines, among other preparations. He revealed that over 102 members of the team will handle the exercise in this first phase.

Dr. Ugwu pointed out that the next stage of the vaccination, after the frontline health workers, will be for key stakeholders of political, religious and traditional institutions.

He explained that the first phase of the vaccination is also going to be focusing mostly on other health workers beyond the frontline health workers because of their vulnerability to diseases in the health establishments where they work.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emmanuel Ikechukwu Obi, had announced, when the state government took delivery of the vaccines, that vaccination will take place in four phases, explaining that the first phase will be administered effectively to frontline health workers, elderly people with underlying illnesses, and some key stakeholders in the state, among others “as already identified and…