The Enugu State government, on Friday, commenced COVID-19 vaccination in the state, starting with frontline health workers at the ESUT Teaching Hospital Isolation 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 centres.
Dr. Ugwu confirmed that the state government received 65,410 doses of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, following the historic event that took place at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Wednesday.
The Executive Secretary disclosed that his agency was ready for the vaccination and had trained the health personnel that will administer the vaccine, among other preparations. He revealed that over 102 members of the team would handle the exercise in this first phase.
Dr. Ugwu pointed out that the next stage of the vaccination, after the frontline health workers, would 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 most 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 vaccine, that vaccination would 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 announced in the news”.
