Lagos State Government is currently in discussion with manufacturers of COVID-19 viral vector vaccine with a view to making vaccine available to residents amid spike in cases of patients infected with the virus.
The state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, disclosed this on Saturday while reacting to a statement addressed to him by a concerned citizen, simply identified as Mr. Uthman, accusing the state government of incapacity and unwillingness to enforce compliance with COVID-19 pandemic protocols in the state.
Recall that the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo said as COVID-19 poses one of humanity’s greatest public health challenges, the pandemic provides an opportunity to ramp up public health infrastructure in Nigeria including the training of required experts even as governments should be doing more in the area of funding.
Also, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, said the country was expecting over 10 million doses of the COVID-19 viral vector vaccine which is expected to arrive sometime in March 2021.
The minister added that 100,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine beside the 10 million doses are being expected in the country.
Osinbajo and Ehanire, stated this at a virtual meeting with top government officials and a group of Nigerian scientists who have been working on some of the public health dimensions of the pandemic.
Ehanire noted that the Federal Ministry of Health in collaboration with other stakeholders had already put in place mechanisms for the management of the vaccines, but emphasized that Federal Government was encouraging the use of IVERMECTIN, while expecting more research done on the prophylactic use of the medication.
Speaking on the availability of vaccine in the state, Onibanjo said the measure became necessary following rising cases of patients needing treatments urgently.
According to him, “It is correct that Lagos State has the highest number of infections and sadly fatalities from COVID-19 in Nigeria. The State Government itself never shied away from admitting that Lagos is indeed the epicenter of the virus in Nigeria. But is it “business-as-usual”? Most certainly not.
“Since the first index patient was confirmed on 27 February 2020, Lagos State Government has led from the front in tackling the pandemic. It was Lagos State who also first introduced; reduced working hours for all sectors of the economy in the State; directed that all its staff between levels 1-14 should work from home; closed all bars, gyms, lounges and cinemas; restricted restaurants to offering take-out services only; and closed worship centres.
“The first lockdown, to contain the pandemic was declared in Lagos on 30 March 2020.
“The first fully equipped isolation centres sprang up in Lagos. At its peak the State had a total bed space of 600 reserved exclusively for COVID-19 patients. The State also led and still leads nationwide in administering COVID- 19 tests.
“As at date we are testing about 3000 persons a day from 60 public and 20 private Sample collection centres, spread out across 57 Local Government and Central Public Health Labs in the State.
“Thousands of people have been successfully treated and discharged from our isolation centres and home based care to date.
“When the second wave started, Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu (even while just recovering from being infected with the virus) addressed a press conference on 18 December 2020 and shut down, nightclubs, lounges, concerts and bars.
“A plan to construct three oxygen plants was launched and on the 8th of January 2021 the first installed oxygen plant was commissioned at Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba. This is capable of producing 60 large cylinders a day of high grade medical oxygen.
“The state government is also currently discussing with vaccine manufacturers with a view to making vaccines available to Lagosians.”
