Anambra State Government will commence a mass vaccination exercise against COVID-19 in the State beginning today, Tuesday December seventh, 2021 and will last till Wednesday January fifth, 2022.

 

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Vincent Okpala who announced this during a press briefing at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat, Awka, also revealed that the state is seriously considering a scaled-up vaccine mandate, starting with civil servants as it is already the case at the federal level and some other parts of the world.

Explaining the details of the mass vaccination, Dr Okpala said that the number of vaccination sites has been increased to include not just primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals but also private facilities and mass vaccination sites in schools, shopping malls, motor parks, and many other places so as to provide Ndi Anambra easier access to vaccine in such a way that wherever you are in the State, there will be a vaccination site close to you.

Dr Okpala further revealed that the State Government has received approval to offer booster doses for people that completed their second dose for over six months starting on December tenth 2021.

 

The Health Commissioner also pleaded with those who have been vaccinated to visit www.vaccination.gov.ng/verification. guide to verify and validate their personal information, correct damaged Quick Response code and secure vaccination record against impersonation, stating that this should be done within twenty-four hours of vaccination.

 

Speaking on the readiness of the Anambra State Primary Health Care Development Agency to reach all the communities during the mass vaccination exercise, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr Chioma Ezenyimulu said the exercise will be carried out in the apex primary health care Centre in each of the three hundred and twenty-six wards in the state, all the General Hospitals and tertiary facilities in the state, sixty selected private health facilities and sixteen specially selected areas.

 

A Senior Supervisor for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Mr. George Uzoigwe who spoke on behalf of other partners including the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Funds commended the Anambra State Government for its  efforts in meeting the targets for all the COVID-19 vaccination exercises and said the agency and all the partners will continue to give all the support needed to meet herd immunity against the dreaded COVID-19 disease.