Imo mass vaccination campaign: 33,500 receive COVID-19 doses in 42 days
No fewer than 33,500 people have so far received COVID-19 vaccine doses in Imo since Gov. Hope Uzodimma inaugurated the mass vaccination campaign in rural areas on Feb. 17.
Dr Maria-Joannes Uzoma, Executive Secretary, Imo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Owerri.
The rural campaign was intended to provide a readily available opportunity for individuals, families, institutions and communities to get vaccinated at their door step.
Uzoma said the campaign led to an increase from the previous figure of 12,000 people recorded between March 2021 and mid-February 2022.
She said the increase was contingent on the technical support provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and Caritas Foundation, among other partners.
She also attributed the success to the political will of the state governor and efforts by community leaders and stakeholders in sensitising and changing the people’s negative perception about COVID-19 vaccination.
“Since the Feb. 17 inauguration, we have immunised more than 33,500 people in the 27 local government areas with four brands of the COVID-19 vaccine, namely, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Moderna and Astrazeneca.
“We are, however, running short of Johnson & Johnson while many people are awaiting their second dose of Moderna in the state,” the executive secretary said.
Uzoma said that immunisation workers faced challenges as a result of the activities of the members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), mostly in Imo North and Imo West Senatorial Districts.
According to her, majority of our people do not come to work on Mondays because of the sit-at-home directive by IPOB.
“In Orsu, one of our social mobilisation officers was blown-up with a dynamite, killing him instantly this year and making workers to embark on COVID-19 immunisation exercise without putting on their uniforms.
“So most of the time, immunisation workers lie low for their safety on Mondays, which results in low record of immunisation exercise that day,” she said.
Uzoma said no death or adverse reaction has been recorded so far as a result of the COVID-19 vaccines.
She said the COVID-19 vaccination has been introduced into routine national immunisation exercise, allaying the fear that the mass campaign in rural areas of the state would end soon.
“So even after eight months when our partners must have stopped, the exercise will continue.
“COVID-19 is real, people should not think it is a government scam.
“It does not cause impotency, the vaccines are actually safe, free and effective,” Uzoma said while urging Imo residents to avail themselves of the dose. (NAN)
