By Our Reporter
No fewer than 17,000 persons have received the first jab of AstraZeneca vaccine against the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Enugu State.
The Executive Secretary of the Enugu State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ENS-PHCDA), Dr George Ugwu disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with newsmen in Enugu.
Recall that the state government had on March 8, received 65,400 doses of the vaccine from its partners while proper vaccination of residents of the state began on March 19.
Ugwu explained that the 17,000 persons that had been given their first jabs represented those vaccinated as at April 14.
He, however, said that the state had yet to reach half of the total dose it received.
He said that the exercise was still on for those in the priority lists, including health workers and the elderly as well as other willing members of the public.
According to him, there will be a pause in giving the first jab for about eight weeks before giving the second jab once we exhaust half of the dose sent to us.
“So, those who got their first jabs will receive the second jabs in less than three months for continued efficacy of the vaccines in their system,” he said.
Ugwu described the vaccine as safe and efficacious, adding that there were no reports of adverse side effects.
Recall that 102 vaccinators were deployed to five Primary Healthcare Centres and two fixed health post centers in each of the 17 local government areas of the state
