Agbonlahor Felicia
Edo State Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu has said that the health and well-being of the people of the State remain the Government’s topmost priority.
Rt. Hon. Comrade Shaibu made this remark while flagging off the Scales 3.0 Strategy for Accelerating COVID-19 vaccination in the State at Ugbor Primary Health Care Centre in Oredo Local Government Area, in Benin City.
He disclosed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, potent and effective, urging those who are yet to be fully vaccinated against the deadly virus to do so without further hesitation, as special mobile vaccination teams will be at strategic locations for easy accessibility.
The Deputy Governor who was represented on the occasion by the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria, appealed to community leaders to give maximum support to the vaccination campaign in order to achieve the goal of building strong immunity against the COVID virus, noting that the Scales 3.0 strategy covers a three-month vaccination campaign plan that will accelerate Covid-19 vaccination coverage across the 18 Local Government Areas of the State by identifying unique enablers and deploying specific strategies that will also ramp up routine immunization and other primary health care services.
He also encouraged eligible persons who are not yet vaccinated to take advantage now to get vaccinated while those partially vaccinated should ensure they complete their shots as partial vaccination does not offer full protection.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Acting Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Gideon Iraoyah, thanked the State Government for its efforts toward the development of the State and the well-being of its citizens in all ramifications. He added that the Scale 3.0 Strategy was implemented to accelerate COVID-19 vaccination and thereby achieve immunity in the State, as the target of the Scales 3.0 Strategy is to achieve 70% coverage by the end of 2022.
The Edo State Coordinator, World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Efemena Onowugbeda, said that the aim of Scales 3.0 Strategy is to get Edo people vaccinated and be protected against the CoronaVirus, adding that WHO is entirely in support of the campaign plan.
The climax of the event was the vaccination of invitees who had been partially vaccinated and those who were yet to be vaccinated. The vaccination exercise was monitored by the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Mrs Obehi Akoria.
The flag off exercise for the Scales 3.0 Strategy for Accelerating COVID-19 vaccination in the State was organized by the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency in collaboration with its partners.
