Edo State Government has again appealed to residents and citizens of the state to get vaccinate against the deadly COVID-19 virus, and all other diseases.
Speaking on behalf of the Edo State Government, Director, Department of Community and Family Healthcare Development Agecy, Dr. Stanley Ehiarimwian, at a two day stakeholders meeting organized by the Agency to access, evaluate and determine the level of compliance against the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.
Dr. Stanely Ehiarimwian, appeal to the people to continue to wear face masks, use hand sanitizers and observe other COVID-19 protocols, to enable them avoid contacting the virus. He debunked rumours that, the agency does not give people an expired vaccine, and added that private hospitals are not allowed to vaccinate people according to the laws.
Dr. Ehiarimwian, asserted that Edo state government is making everything possible especially in the area of logistics to ensure people get vaccinated.
Educating the stakeholders at the event, the representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 focal person, Dr. Efemena Onowugbeda, urged the partakers to go home and convince their family members, friends, relatives and colleauge to take the vaccine.
He appealed to the participants to debunk the rumour that, after taking the COVID-19 vaccine their body will degenerated into other illnesses. He equally urged them to help share the fact and information about COVID-19 pandemic.
Explaining the essence of the stakeholders meeting, Edo State Health Educator, in Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. (Mrs). Irene Uabor, said, the purpose is to ensure proper vaccination of at leat 50% of the people of Edo state.
Dr. Uabor who is the Risk Communication Pillar Lead, Edo State COVID-19 Response, said the two day stakeholders gathering was organised to brainstorm together, and to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is administered to the every people in the communities in the state.
She added that, what prompted the main core of the event is that they found out that vaccination in Edo state is poor.
She posited:” The two days stakeholders to brainstorm together and to ensure that the COVID-19 vaccine is passed to the people in the community, and to know the level of compliance so far.
“There was a time that the turnout of people coming to take the vaccine was much or high. Recently, the number of turnout is very low. That is why we are here now. Some people take first shot and don’t go out for the second shot of vaccine. Looking at the statistics is so low. For us to be a healthy state, where everybody would be vaccinated is to ensure proper vaccination like 50% of the state are vaccinated.
“This is making it the 5th stakeholders meeting that we have held for the past one year. We would not relent our efforts, and we would continue to tell our stakeholders to inform their people to come and take the vaccine. We will go to different places like; church, mosque, religious gathering, and other public places to inform the people.”
In his remarks, the Edo State Africa Centre for Diseases Control (CDC), Dr. Pius Ononigwe, an Epidemiologist, urged the partakers to spread the message to the people in their different associations, unions, groups and organisations.
