No less than 80,570 out of the 150,000 doses of the Covid-19 vaccines allocated to Bauchi State by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) have arrived in the state.
The arrival of the vaccines was announced by the Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Baba Tela at the cold store of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) on Wednesday.
Shortly after receiving the vaccine, Baba Tela who is also the state Taskforce Chairman on COVID-19 and Lassa fever said a total of 150,000 doses was allocated to the state.
He, however, noted that the 80,570 received was part of the total allocation to the state by the Federal Government.
The deputy governor explained that priority attention would be given to frontline health workers, government officials, security, traditional and religious leaders in the administration of the first batch of the vaccine in the state.
He said that the vaccination exercise will commence on Thursday, assuring of the potency of the vaccine, having been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“The vaccine is potent; it has been administered across the world and all those who took it are doing well. WHO has approved it. Therefore, we in Bauchi are ready to take it,” the deputy governor declared.
Baba Tela said the state Governor, Bala Mohammed will lead other top government functionaries to take the vaccine before others in the legislature and security would be vaccinated.
On his part, the Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said that the vaccine arrived in Bauchi late Tuesday night and was taken straight into the ATBUTH cold store as directed by the NPHCDA for its potency to be maintained.