Kaduna State Government has said that it would upscale COVID-19 vaccination coverage from the current 10 per cent to 70 per cent by the first quarter of 2022.

The state Acting Governor, Dr Hadiza Balarabe, disclosed this at the flag-off of state-wide COVID-19 mass vaccination, on Thursday in Kaduna.

According to her, 3,588 personnel would be engaged in various capacities to support the mobilization and vaccination process.

Balarabe said this would be boosted with 59 mobile trucks that would work in communities to support the vaccination.

She said public and private facilities, secondary and tertiary health centres, as well as institutions and organizations would also be used to ramp up the vaccination exercise.

The acting governor urged communities to support the government in dispelling the negative rumours about the pandemic, and mobilise friends, families, and colleagues to get vaccinated.

According to her, the vaccine was the most efficacious public health measure to protect people from contracting COVID-19.

She also explained that the state-wide mass vaccination was for persons of 18 years and above. Balarabe noted that the state had invested a lot of resources in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to protect the health of the people.

“It is unfortunate that the response to COVID-19 infection is faced with several challenges. One of such challenges is the herculean task to deal with the sentimental misconception people have about COVID-19,” she added.

In his speech, Adeola Olulonyo, Communication specialist, UNICEF Kaduna office, said they would support the campaign to ensure that all residents have access to the vaccine.

TodayNG