70 per cent of people in Oyo unprotected from COVID-19 ― Commissioner

Taiwo Ladipo

Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Taiwo Ladipo says with the fourth wave of COVID-19 gradually sweeping Nigeria, less than 70 per cent of people in Oyo state are protected through vaccination from the virus.

Dr Ladipo, speaking at the flagging-off of the Scale 3.0 COVID-19 Vaccination campaign at the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, said that about 30 per cent of people in Oyo State have been vaccinated although the state’s target is to ensure at least 70 per cent of people get vaccinated.

According to him, more people need to be vaccinated in the state in order not to lose the battle against the virus that in the past had made many to be ill; killed some and its after-effects is still been felt by everyone.

Dr Ladipo declared “up to 30 per cent of people have been vaccinated with either one or more doses. The goal is not 30 per cent but 70 per cent. We need to ensure that people have the vaccine. This is another opportunity for those that have not had 3 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to do so.

“The battle against COVID-19 is not lost, but we do not want to lose, so everyone needs to be involved with the vaccination process so that everyone is ensured to be safe from the virus.”

Earlier, Executive Secretary, Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Muideen Olatunji the Scale 3.0 COVID-19 Vaccination campaign was to aggressively ramp up vaccination in the state to protect lives even as Nigeria enters the fourth wave of COVID-19.

According to him, already the state has in store various variants of the COVID-19 vaccines and they are safe as proven by many people that took the vaccine since 2020 who are still alive.

Dr Olatunji, however, urged everyone in the community to be disciples preaching COVId-19 vaccination to ensure that the state can attain herd immunity against the virus and for the safety of people living in the state.

World Health Organisation’s State Coordinator, Dr Philips Zorto decried poor uptake of health interventions like vaccination in the state even though all were targeted at ensuring universal health for all.

He stated that the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state was small unlike other states in the country, urging them to get vaccinated and mobilise others to be vaccinated.

In another development, the Chairman, Association of Community Pharmacists, Oyo State branch, Mr Abiodun Gbadamosi stated that 24 pharmacy shops across the state had been integrated into the vaccination team to provide COVID-19 vaccination in the community.

According to him, the pilot project involving Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, USAID Medicines, Technologies and Pharmaceutical Services programme and Breakthrough Action Nigeria, is to ensure more avenues for people to access the vaccine and stem vaccine hesitancy at the community level.

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