Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, his deputy, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, and some frontline health workers, on Wednesday, received the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in the state.
Governor Fayemi received a dose of the vaccine that was administered by the State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani.
The Wife of the Governor, Bisi Fayemi; Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt Hon Funminiyi Afuye and a representative of the State Council of Traditional Rulers/ Attah of Aiyede-Ekiti, Oba Abdulmumin Orisagbemi and some members of the public also received the vaccine at a brief ceremony, at the Fajuyi Pavillion, Ado-Ekiti.
The Permanent Secretary Hospital Management Board and COVID-19 Case Management Lead, Dr Williams Afolabi became the first Health Worker in Ekiti State to receive the vaccine.
Governor Fayemi at the short ceremony stated that his administration had put in place measures to ensure that residents have equitable access to the vaccine.
He emphasised that all hands must be on deck to ensure all indigenes know that the vaccine is safe.
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The Governor said Ekiti State was one of the very few states to strengthen the testing capacity by procuring a Molecular Laboratory in addition to mobilising eminent citizens under the Rapid Response Mobilization Committee (RRMC) which raised about $3million used to fund some critical infrastructure and social needs to support the fight against the pandemic.
He urged the citizens to disregard any unfounded theories about the efficacy and effects of the vaccines on them saying, “We should not introduce unnecessary sentiments to the health and well-being of our people for whatever reasons.”
In his remarks at the ceremony, Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Filani, disclosed that Risk Communications officials are currently being trained to tackle misinformation across the 16 LGAs of the state ahead of the rollout of the vaccines in Ekiti.
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