The Lagos State government has officially ended the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination campaign with 257, 756 persons vaccinated.
The State, following this shut down all COVID-19 vaccination centres across the State on Thursday.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi who disclosed this in a statement explained that the government took the decision following the directive of the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, NPHCDA.
The NPHCDA had instructed States to stop vaccination after administering half of the doses issued to them to give opportunity for the second dose of the already vaccinated individuals.
“Lagos State inoculated 257,756 persons, as of 15th of April 2021, consisting of health workers, frontline workers including; security agents, ports of entry staff, judiciary, petrol station workers, contingency workers and strategic leaders.
“The government went a step further to vaccinate willing pensioners, people aged 70 and above, teachers and journalists during the same period,” Abayomi said.
The first phase of the vaccination which began in Lagos on March 12, 2021 took an average of 20 days.
Prof Abayomi said this phase of vaccination would ensure that at least, 1 percent of Lagos residents take the full complement of doses required to enable the protection the vaccine promises.
The State Commissioner for Health said the exercise ended on Tuesday, 13th April 2021, and consequently, the government has shut down its entire vaccination centres.
According to him, Lagos is the only state which has inoculated more than 200,000 residents during this period.
Abayomi added that the remaining doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are stored at the Lagos State Cold Chain Store for the 2nd dose exercise, which would begin on the 28th of May 2021.
He advised Lagos residents to check their vaccination cards for their next appointment dates and report to the same health facilities where they got their initial dose for their second dose.