The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has again appealed to unvaccinated Nigerians to get the COVID-19 vaccination.

NPHCDA executive secretary Faisal Shuaib made the appeal at a one-day evaluation meeting for the COVID-19 vaccination.

The meeting was organised by the Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF), an independent partner, assisting the NPHCDA in driving the campaign for vaccination against COVID-19.

NSSF entered into an agreement with NPHCDA in 2021 to support the COVID-19 vaccination campaign across the country but started the project with Edo, Ogun, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Katsina and Imo.

The agreement aims to vaccinate one million eligible Nigerians in the states. 

“The virus was still very much in circulation. COVID-19 is still very active, and there is (a) need for Nigerians to get vaccinated and stay safe. People are still dying globally,” added Mr Shuaib. “There are countries that are still having new outbreaks. It is good we take the vaccine and kick COVID out of our country.” 

The NPHCDA boss added, “We are not only doing COVID-19 vaccination at the moment, (but) we are also doing integrated vaccination, along with routine immunisation, maternal services and other care at the primary healthcare level. As a nation, we have not achieved credibility on this. We need to get vaccinated so that we can still be safe as a country.”

He said to date, 55.6 per cent of Nigerians have taken only the first dose. The director also said that 44.6 per cent of Nigerians are fully vaccinated.

“The current drive under the leadership of the minister of health, with the support from the President and the entire presidential steering committee on COVID-19, has made us move the figure from 13 per cent,” explained Mr Shuaib. “Our target is to ensure 70 per cent of the population get vaccinated before December 2022. We are working hard on this.”

(NAN)