COVID-19: Health Commissioners To Meet Over Sharing Of 3.9million Vaccine Doses

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire will on Thursday meet with other commissioners for health in the 36 states over the effective sharing and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country. 

The Commissioner for health in Plateau and Cross River State, Dr Nimkong Lar and Dr Betta Edu made this known in a separate interview on Wednesday.

According to them, the meeting is scheduled to hold on Thursday (Today) in Abuja and the top agenda is the distribution of the 3.9 million COVID-19 vaccine.

AllNews had earlier reported that some commissioners met the Federal Government officials on Wednesday over the distribution of the vaccine.

It could be recalled that Nigeria on Tuesday received 3.94 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, becoming the third African country to benefit from the COVAX facility after Ghana and Ivory Coast.

COVAX, an initiative co-led by the Vaccine Alliance, GAVI and the World Health Organisation. seeks to ensure equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine by dividing about two billion doses across 92 low-and middle-income countries.

While receiving the vaccine on behalf of the Federal Government, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, had said, “The consignment of the vaccine is just 3.924 million doses of the expected 16 million doses  from the COVAX Facility.”

READ ALSO: 2.3m Nigerians Registered for COVID-19 Vaccination in Less Than 24hrs

Meanwhile, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency had on Monday commenced online registration of Nigerians interested in taking COVID-19 vaccination.

Confirming the meeting on Wednesday, the Plateau State commissioner for health said,  “As I am talking to you, I am on my way to Abuja for a meeting with the minister of health. All the commissioners for health in the 36 states will also be there for the meeting on Thursday (tomorrow).”

When asked the number of doses that would be allocated to the state, Lar stated,  “I won’t be able to give you that figure for now until after the meeting tomorrow(Thursday).

“When we get our own allocation, I am sure we will start the vaccination  starting with people that are at the  high risk of contracting the virus, especially   frontline health workers and the aged.”

Also,  the Cross River State commissioner for health disclosed she would be attending the meeting with the minister of health adding that the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to states would top the agenda.

Edu stated, “The discussion tomorrow is the distribution of the vaccines and the inauguration.”