April 16, the federal government’s target date for states to end the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, is fast approaching, and the turn out for the vaccination differs greatly from states to states.
Statistics obtained from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) showed that some states such as Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Katsina, Yobe, Kwara, Niger, Adamawa, Gombe, Jigawa, and Kaduna have vaccinated between 60 per cent and 111 per cent of the targeted population under the first phase.
In the same vein, statistics have also shown that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and states such as Abia, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu, Rivers, Sokoto, Kogi and Taraba, were still below 50 per cent of the target.
The figures show that Abia has attained only 14. 9 per cent; Akwa Ibom, 28 per cent; Anambra, 22.8 per cent; Ebonyi, 31 per cent; Enugu, 30.1 per cent; Rivers, 30.6 per cent; Sokoto, 33 per cent; Taraba, 19.5 per cent, while the FCT has attained 33.3 per cent.
While FCT has disputed the figures, disclosing that the federal government’s assessment was based on the 228,400 doses given to it claimed was more than the 120,000 doses it actually required.
The Abia State government said it had not yet fixed a specific date for the commencement of the public vaccination following the extension of vaccination to more categories of frontline workers.
In the same vein, the Anambra State government’s claim of having vaccinated a total of 22,861 persons also contradicted the federal government’s assessment, which showed that the state vaccinated only 9,000 persons or 22.8 per cent of the target.
