President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo will both receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.
Faisal Shuaib, executive director of National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), disclosed this at a media briefing at the state house on Thursday.
He said the number one and two citizens will receive Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine that arrived in Nigeria on Monday, after some frontline health workers are vaccinated on Friday.
Shuaib said;
The next step in the vaccination programme given that we’ve now received the vaccines is a launch that will be taking place at the National Hospital tomorrow (Friday). The time scheduled for that launch is 10am. The launch will be conducted by the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
He added;
The plan is to vaccinate the frontline health workers that work in the treatment centre of the National Hospital. Those will be the first people just like we’ve communicated that frontline health workers will be the first people to take the vaccine.
After that, the plan is to vaccinate Mr President, Mr Vice-President and strategic leaders on Saturday. Again, we are hopeful that when Nigerians see leaders like Mr President and Mr Vice-President take the vaccine; it will increase their confidence around the safety of the vaccines.
NPHCDA boss added;
As you are well aware that even before the vaccine arrived Nigeria, there is a lot of hesitancy. It is a global phenomenon. Vaccine hesitancy is similar no matter where you are, you have to provide the right information and to those people who have questions, we cannot dismiss their cynicism.
It is our responsibility as public health workers not to only offer the vaccine but do the extra work in terms of providing the resources that are needed and to convince people that these vaccines are safe.
Shuaib also enjoined Nigerians who wish to receive the vaccines to register on the website of the agency.
