Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo flagged off mass COVID-19 vaccination in the state on Thursday.

At the event, Mr Uzodinma said that his government had established the Imo State Task Force on COVID-19 and made massive investments in the best Isolation Centres in the country.

“To achieve a greater number of people being vaccinated, there is an obvious need to go beyond allowing the vaccination to be left in the hands of the National Primary Health-care agency alone. 

“We remain resolved to protect Imo citizens against all diseases, viruses and pandemics both now and in future as the vaccination from this day will be taken to the masses at the community level.

“The services of health workers are more needed now than ever as the vaccination moves to the communities with a larger percentage of the population,” he said.

He further thanked the United States Embassy for the particular interest it showed in Imo by providing technical man-power and training that helped to ensure the success of the flag-off.

Speaking, state Commissioner for Health, Dr Prosper Ohayagha, said that in an effort to carry out a successful community mass vaccination, the ministry, in collaboration with support groups, had trained a critical mass of man-power as well as volunteers in various pillars of response at both the state and local government levels.

He noted that the Community Mass Vaccination supersedes the earlier strategies deployed in achieving COVID-19 pandemic control, re-emphasizing that “the vaccines are safe and effective”.

In various virtual goodwill messages, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth-Leonard, and the Deputy Chief of Mission, Kathleen FitzGibbon, commended the governor for his rare leadership traits and commitment to the well being of Imo people through different initiatives in the health sector. 

(NAN)