By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila have been scheduled to get their jabs on Monday, March 8 following as Nigeria receives delivery of nearly four million doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Aside from the duo and members of the National Assembly, others slated to take the vaccines same day are the Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce PTF on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, Ministers, the Inspector General of Police IGP, Mohammed Adamu as well as traditional and religious leaders.
Speaking at Monday’s briefing of the PTF in Abuja, Executive Director of NPHCDA, Dr Faisal Shuaib said the PTF will interface with President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to arrive at a suitable date for their vaccination.
According to him, all necessary safety and quality control measures have been put in place for the arrival, storage, and successful administration of the vaccine in the country.
“There is going to be a small ceremony chaired by the Chairman of the PTF on COVID-19 to receive the vaccine at the VIP Protocol section, General Aviation Terminal of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“At the end of the ceremonies to mark the arrival of the vaccines, a few vials of the vaccines would be handed over to the NAFDAC team which they will analyze over a period of two days (Wednesday, March 3rd and Thursday, March 4th)
“Further to the clearance by NAFDAC, the PTF, FMOH, NPHCDA, and strategic leaders will be at the treatment center of the National Hospital on Friday, March 5th, 2021, where the first vaccination site will be set up to commence the vaccination of the frontline health workers and support staff. These Staff would also be electronically registered in the Covid-19 vaccine database and would receive their COVID-19 vaccination card which has a QR code that can be verified worldwide.
“On Saturday, March 6th, Key Strategic leaders will receive the first dose of the vaccine. On Monday, March 8th, 2021, more vaccination sites would have been set up at designated locations such as the National Assembly clinic, State House clinic, and Federal Medical Centre, Jabi where strategic leaders such as the SGF, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Attorney General of the Federation, Inspector General of Police, the Ministers and Ministers of States, Senators, House of Representatives, traditional leaders and religious leaders would be vaccinated.’’
