Beatrice Gondyi Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has received 80,570 vials of Astrazeneca doses of COVID-19 vaccines the federal government which first set will be administered to Frontline health workers government officials, traditional rulers, and security personnel.

Receiving the Vaccines on Wednesday at the Cold store Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), the Chairman, state task force committee of Covid-19  and Deputy governor, Baba Tela, said the arrival of the vaccines is timely as they intend to administer it to Frontline health workers just as the vaccination will commence on Thursday.

He assured that 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”.

He said there is need to protect the healthcare workers adding that the vaccines will also be given to everyone involved in advocacy, from the governor to his cabinet, the religious and traditional rulers will also not be left out.

He assured that the vaccine very safe commended the federal government for making available the vaccine in the state. He explained that government will roll out modalities in the distribution of the vaccine saying the first dose will be shared within 28 weeks.

“On behalf of the government of Bauchi state, I have today received 80,570 vials of Astrazeneca doses of covid-19 vaccines from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, of course the PTF and the NCDC. That is to say from the federal government.

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We are very grateful and thankful to the federal government, to his Excellency, the president for ensuring that this vaccines arrived at the time that they are needed”.

” We also assure the government as they have indicated that, the first set of the vaccines Will be administered to the Frontline health workers”.

The Deputy Governor further said that the vaccine will be taken to all the 20 LGAs and 323 wards in the state where it will be administered to frontline health workers and other vulnerable people including aged and children.

He assured that the quantity supplied to the state will be administered to the people of the state calling on the people not to be afraid of the vaccine but to embrace it as the surest way of avoiding the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.

While handing over the vaccines,Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Dr Rilwanu Mohammed said that the vaccine arrived Bauchi late Tuesday night and was taken straight into the cold store as directed by the NPHCDA in order to maintain its potency.

Rilwanu Mohammed added that the vaccine must be administered immediately in line with the direction of its usage stressing that it is a potent vaccine which will approximately fight COVID-19 infection.

He assured the people of the state that the government will ensure that the vaccine went round everybody in the state in order to keep the state COVID-19 free.