By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Acting Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Isah Yahaya Vasta has disclosed that COVID-19 vaccination is still ongoing in the six Area Councils in order to meet up with the targeted population.
Vasta said, ” Vaccination is a necessity to protect yourself from COVID-19 and the FCTA is providing another opportunity for people to get vaccinated.”
We have not met this target population due to misinformation, he said.
According to him, the vaccination is still ongoing in the six Area Councils namely Abaji, Bwari, Kuje, Gwavwalada, AMAC and Kwali with 103 teams.
Vasta disclosed this today while giving the state of preparedness and response and key disease entities in the FCT.
Also the Acting Secretary of the FCT PHCB revealed that so far a total of 1, 671,738 eligible persons who are 18 years were vaccinated while 792,437 were fully vaccinated in the Territory.
“At least 990, 445 persons has received at least one shot of the vaccine, while 792, 437 has been fully vaccinated and 204, 839 has received the booster shot.”
He noted that although the COVID-19 protocols have been relaxed, the FCT will sustain vaccination and other measures against the pandemic, adding
that the FCT had projected target population of 3,089,849 eligible persons for the COVID-19 vaccination.
Accordding to him, the FCT target is to vaccinate at least 70% (2, 162, 895) of these eligible persons by end of December 2022.
He explained that a total number of 246 Vaccination Teams (90 fixed post teams & 156 Mobile/Outreach Teams) supported by state and partners are currently deployed in the FCT and are disaggregated across the 6 Area Councils for the purposes of the continuous vaccination exercise .
“Partners like UNICEF, WHO, USAID, IHVN, Pathfinder International, Breakthrough Action of Nigeria, Vaccine Network etc have been very supportive to the FCT for the purposes of the COVID-19 Vaccination.”
The COVID-19 Vaccination roll-out started on March 5th, 2021 with a National flag off at the National Hospital Abuja, and since then the COVID-19 Vaccination has been happening across the country with varying degree of success, he disclosed.
Furthermore, Director, Public Health Department, Dr. Sadiq Abdulrahaman, listed measures and responses to the health issues in the FCT from January to December 2022, said the there have been zero Covid-19 cases within the period.
He attributed the successes recorded in curtailing Covid-19 and other epidemic diseases to proven political will of the government and support of critical stakeholders.
