President Muhammadu Buhari has charged all eligible Nigerians to ensure to receive the COVID-19 vaccine whenever it comes to their turn to do so.
The President gave the charge on Saturday after he, along with the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, received their first doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja.
The exercise was preceded by e-registration of both the President and Vice President, and filling out of their vaccination cards by Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib.
President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo got the jab live on TV, a day after the COVID-19 national vaccine programme commenced with the vaccination of healthcare and frontline workers at the National Hospital, Abuja.
The President and his Vice received the first shots of the vaccine at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja in the presence of members of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, senior government officials and journalists.
The Personal Physician to the President, Dr Sanusi Raafindadi administered the vaccine to him, while that of the Vice President was done by his Personal Physician, Dr Nicholas Audifferen.
Speaking after the vaccine was administered to him, President Buhari described his decision to take the vaccine in public as ‘‘a demonstration of leadership and faith in the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.’’
‘‘I have received my first jab and I wish to commend it to all eligible Nigerians, to do same so that we can be protected from the virus,’’ he said.
He urged all state governments, traditional and religious leaders, to take the lead in the mobilization effort within their environment and spheres of influence.
‘‘The vaccine offers hope for a safe country, free of Coronavirus.
‘‘I similarly urge all eligible Nigerians to present themselves and be vaccinated in accordance with the order of priority already mapped out, at the various authorized designated centres only,’’ he added.
President Buhari congratulated the PTF on COVID-19 on the successful multi-sectoral approach to the management of the pandemic.
He also acknowledged and commended the support of Governments, donors, development partners, the private sector, traditional and religious leaders as well as critical stakeholders who have supported Nigeria’s response to the pandemic, assuring that all the resources will be equitably administered.
The President noted that since the beginning of the year 2020, humanity had remained under the burden of COVID-19 pandemic, an unseen but very potent enemy around the world.
‘‘Infection from the virus has resulted in over two million and five hundred thousand fatalities and destroyed several global and national systems.
‘‘The response in Nigeria and the ECOWAS sub-region has been robust, collaborative and united. It was driven by a collective knowledge of the fact that ‘no country is safe until every country is safe.
‘‘The speedy development of the COVID-19 vaccines is quite significant and underscores the collective resolve of humanity to overcome the pandemic.
‘‘Similarly, the collaborative effort to ensure equal access has brought relief to poor and developing countries,’’ he said.
President Buhari spoke of the assurance by the PTF that the AstraZeneca vaccine which Nigeria has accessed would arrive in batches beginning with the four million doses already received.
The President said the roll out and administration plan would cater for over seventy percent of Nigeria’s population in 2021 and 2022.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who described the day as memorable in the life of the country, said it was made possible because of the starling leadership qualities President Buhari provided in the national response to COVID-19.
He said the vaccination of the President, and the Vice President, they have demonstrated leadership “by offering themselves for the Nigerian people to believe in this Safety and the efficacy of the vaccines that we have procured and it’s being deployed.”
Mustapha reiterated that soon no one will be able to travel without the vaccinated.
He said vaccination would be done in four phases and advised Nigerians not to listen to conspiracy theories, but to take the vaccines because it is safe and is for the benefits of all.
“I think vaccine hesitancy would have to give way to the reality. Because the truth about it Your Excellency, is that very soon, nobody will be able to travel the world, unless you produce the certificate that we have been given.
“I have not confirmed but reliably, some countries have started putting restrictions on receiving visitors, even exercising activities of their faith without a COVID 19 vaccinations.
“So the word that is going out there, on behalf of Mr. President, is that Nigerians should make themselves available, those that are eligible in the first set of the deployment, because the deployment is going to be in four phases, to received these vaccines.
“They have been tested, our most strategic leadership have received them this morning, they are safe, efficacious and it is for the good and well being of our people”, he said.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the show of leadership by the President and his Vice would boost the morale of the health sector and reassure the public as to the safety and efficacy of the vaccines which have been of concern to the public.
He said five main pillars have been laid out for this COVID-19.
“First is to continue to scale up that dynastic and case finding, infection prevention and control to reduce infections that arise in our country.
“Secondly, to continue to improve the therapeutics and the case management, they have graciously agreed to ensure oxygen plants, at least 88 of them in the country, because we have discovered that high flow oxygen supplementation is key to the treatment of COVID-19 severe cases.
“We have also made the point to continue to sustain, essentially the routine medical services. So we do not lose sight of this area and begin to see more fatalities coming even from non-COVID cases, due to fear of COVID or too much focus on COVID. We tend to continue to press on our routine medical services.
“The fourth is the introduction of the emergency medical service an ambulance system in your country, which we believe will reduce maternal mortality under five mortality, accident mortality and all the mortality we see in on expected events and that the country’s health system will be able to respond promptly to citizens, when they are in distress, they know who to call upon.
“The fifth and the final is the introduction of COVID vaccines. We have been a long way it has taken about a year of record scientific work to come about these vaccines in many countries.
“This vaccine is safe and has been administered to millions of persons and it is also well sought after. Just a day or two ago we’ve had reports of a diplomatic squabble between Italy and Australia over AstraZeneca vaccines and where they should go too fast.
“They’re still vaccine nationalism. They’re still hoarding going on. And we do hope that with your support Your Excellency, we are continuing to get the flow of vaccines to continue that decentralisation process”, he said.
Also at the brief ceremony were the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
Also present were the Director-General, of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Iheakwazu, Director General of National Agency for Food Drugs and Administration Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye.