We are expanding to cope with surging demand for COVID-19 vaccination

The Enugu state government has said that it was expanding in anticipation of any up-surge in the demand for COVID-19 vaccination within the state, as its vaccination programme had continued without hitches.
Dr George Ugwu, Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday, in Enugu.
NAN reports that there was an anticipated surge of those wishing to get vaccinated as the Federal Government had given civil servants in its employ a Dec. 1 deadline to get vaccinated and be protected from the pandemic.
There are quite a large numbers of Federal civil servants working within Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and having zonal and state offices within the state.
According to Ugwu, any form of surge in the number of citizens wishing for COVID-19 vaccination is a highly welcomed development and we greatly anticipate that.
“Currently we have a number of COVID-19 vaccines i.e. Astra Zeneca, Moderna and Johnson &Johnson COVID-19 vaccines in the state.
“We are working with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) to involve big mission and private hospitals that we can partner with and supervise closely to get involved in the COVID-19 vaccination in the state.
“The ENS-PHCDA wants them to join us so that we can expand further, get more dependable hands and ensure very close accessibility of the COVID-19 vaccines to all residents in the state.
“We are already working out the details and believe that very soon it will work out and our scope and reach will be much wider”, Ugwu said.
On security of the COVID-19 vaccination cards, he said that the agency had increased its supervision and monitoring on its field vaccination officers and posts.
Ugwu said that from day one, the state had been prepared to execute the COVID-19 vaccination hitch-free and with the seriousness and security it deserved.
“We are working hand-in-hand with security agencies to ensure that the vaccination is carried out the way it should be.
“Government anti-graft agencies are also monitoring what we are doing to ensure accountability and most times they work undercover that our staff and supervisors do not even know them.
“It is unethical to get the green COVID-19 vaccination card without getting actually vaccinated.
‘Anything health should be provided and done the way it should be. There should be no cutting corners or politicisation of such issues,” he said.
The executive secretary thanked Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi for the tremendous financial and moral support to the ongoing and seamless COVID-19 vaccination in the state.
“The positive disposition of the governor, His Excellency Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, as a health-loving governor is impacting greatly on the agency’s programmes and campaigns, especially the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination,” he said.