Kogi surrenders, agrees to roll out COVID-19 vaccine this week

After repeatedly doubting the existence of the COVID-19 in Kogi, the state government has finally accepted to start administering the vaccine to its residents.

The State Commissioner for Health, Saka Haruna, said Kogi would receive doses of the vaccine on Tuesday ahead of the roll-out.

He also said the residents would be given “unhindered access to receive the vaccine”.

Kogi’s decision to start administering the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to residents is coming three weeks after Nigeria began its roll-out.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) had attributed the delay to two factors: The state’s “concerns around the contradictory information about the vaccines” and the non-repair of its cold-chain store.

When the vaccine doses arrived in Nigeria, the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, who had repeatedly denied the existence of COVID-19 in the state, said the vaccination was one of their least concerns.

“COVID-19 is just a minute aspect of what we’re treating in Kogi State. I’m not going to subject the people of Kogi State to vaccination, or I will not make them guinea pigs,” he had said.

But on Monday, Haruna said everything looked set for the state to start the vaccination roll-out.

“We have done the micro-planning and everything has been completed with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA),” the commissioner said in a phone interview with TheCable.

He added, “Anybody that is willing to receive the vaccine (will receive it); nobody is exempted. And nobody will be forced to receive the vaccine.”

He said the state would announce further plans including the location of the vaccination launch after receiving the supplies.

He, however, failed to confirm if state government officials particularly the governor would receive the vaccine.

“The governor does not have to receive the vaccine before others will; I don’t think there is anything special about COVID that we have to bring the governor out to come and receive the vaccine,” he said.