According to the Executive Director of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, the vaccines were delivered to the Bauchi state government in Jos, Plateau state at about 7:30 pm on Tuesday.
Speaking with journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday, Dr Mohammed said that the 80,570 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine received is about half of what was expected, saying that 150,000 vaccines were initially allocated to Bauchi state for the first dose.
“We received the vaccine around 7:30 pm yesterday [Tuesday]. We received about 80,570 doses of vaccines and 80,570 0.5mil syringes that we are going to use for the injection.
“We also got about 80,570 boxes and 80,570 adhesive plaster. This amount is about half of what we expected. The vaccine was calculated scientifically for every state; Bauchi state is supposed to receive about 150,000 doses but unfortunately, we saw 80,570.
“We going to give it to our front line health workers, and for advocacy purpose, the executive governor, deputy governor, house of assembly members will also receive.
“This vaccine is also meant for our military, police, other paramilitary officers. This vaccine is meant for people like those working in filling stations.
“I am sure that this vaccine will not be enough, but this is the amount that was given was to us, for now.
“We have done the first part of training, which is the state training for health workers, the second part of the training at the local government areas and facility level is coming up tomorrow and next tomorrow; Thursday and Friday, and this will go alongside the training for our independent monitors.
“We have about 323 healthcare centres where we are going to do this vaccination and in 18 selected general hospitals by the National Primary Healthcare, based on their familiarity (with this process).
“We have adopted e-registration for all the people that are going to be vaccinated, and even if they are not registered at the point of vaccination we are going to do what we call concometer registration,” he noted.
Receiving the vaccine on behalf of the government, Bauchi state deputy governor, Baba Tela thanked the Federal Government for the first batch of the vaccines, while also assuring that the administration of the vaccines would begin within the next two days.
He said: “On behalf of the government of Bauchi state and His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed, I have today, received the 80,570 doses of AztraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the PTF and the NCDC.
“We are grateful to the federal government for ensuring that these vaccines have arrived at the time that they are needed.
“We assure the government that, as they have indicated, the first set of the vaccines will be administered to frontline health workers, the political leadership, religious leadership and the traditional leadership will also be vaccinated.
“I want to assure the people of this state and this country that this vaccine is safe. The instruction is that the vaccine should be administered within 2 weeks.
“Within two days, the government will roll out the accepted procedure and the modalities for the administration of the vaccines for the people of this state.
“The 80,580 vaccines collected is for the first dose, the second dose will come after two weeks because that is the time difference between the first and the second dose.”
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