COVID-19: PTF members to be vaccinated today

Nigeria on Friday commenced the vaccination of its citizens against COVID-19, beginning with healthcare workers.

 

The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, and other members will on Monday receive doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

 

“Arrangements have been concluded for SGF/chairman of PTF and members to be vaccinated tomorrow, Monday 8, 2022 during the weekly national briefing,” Director of Press, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), Willie Bassey, announced on Sunday night.

 

Nigeria on Friday commenced the vaccination of its citizens against COVID-19, beginning with healthcare workers.

 

About four million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines were delivered to Nigeria through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Assess Facility (COVAX) on Tuesday.

 

The doses are part of the 16 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines planned to be delivered to Nigeria in batches over the next weeks.

 

Cyprian Ngong, a medical doctor, became the first person to receive a jab of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines in Nigeria. Three other health workers also received jabs during the flag-off event.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo also received jabs of the COVID-19 vaccines on Saturday to drive vaccine acceptance.

 

The PTF was established by President Muhammadu Buhari on March 9, 2020, to coordinate and oversee the country’s multi-sectoral inter-governmental efforts to contain the spread and mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria.

 

The PTF team includes the National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu, a former head of Nigeria’s AIDS agency (NACA), who has been absent from the weekly briefings in the past few weeks; Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Minister of Environment, Muhammad Mahmood; Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora; Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu; and the National Incident Manager (NIM) PTF, Mukhtar Muhammad, among others.