Sanwo-Olu, deputy take COVID-19 vaccine

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, on Friday took the first injection of the Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Sanwo-Olu took the injection at 3:03p.m. while Hamzat was injected at about 3:10p.m. at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Yaba.

It was reported that the state government took delivery of the first consignment of 507,000 vaccines allocated to it by the Federal Government on Tuesday.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso and some health workers also took the jab of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Sanwo-Olu, who is the state’s COVID-19 Incident Commander, thanked the frontline workers for their services and efforts at curbing the spread of the virus.

He said that the government would come out with a strategy to vaccinate the residents, while hoping that the world would be free of the virus soon.

The governor also urged the people to refrain from spreading false information about the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, saying it (the vaccine) would help to fight the infection of the virus.

Earlier, during a news conference, Prof. Abayomi, who was the first to be vaccinated, assured the people that the vaccine was safe.

He said he felt like his normal self after the shot was administered.

The commissioner, however, said expectant mothers and children below 18 years old were exempted from taking the vaccine.

”We are not recommending the vaccine for expectant mothers at this point in time. We are, however, watching the landscape and scientific data to see whether at some point in time we would have enough information and confidence to give to pregnant women, and at what stage of the pregnancy it can be administered.

”Another group of persons exempted are those under 18 years because the clinical trials did not include children to ascertain the efficacy and safety of the vaccine.

”The vaccines are safe for everyone because the clinical trials included ethnic representations across the world and countries where the trials were done.

”The collective result suggests that all ethnic groups across the world demonstrate appropriate response to the vaccine to acquire suitable level of immunity as prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said.

Abayomi re-emphasised that the vaccination was to boost immunity and there was no guarantee that those vaccinated would not be infected with coronavirus again.

He appealed to Lagos residents and Nigerians in general to make themselves available for vaccination when there was avalability of more vaccine.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, appealed to residents to continue to take preventive measures.

Omotoso urged media organisations to continue advocacy on the need for residents to get vaccinated.