As of May 5, 2021, a total of 1,266,742 eligible Nigerians have been vaccinated with the first dose in the first phase of the covid-19 vaccination, according to the latest data from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
Also, five states are yet to reach the 50 per cent target mark of the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. This brings the proportion of those vaccinated to 63.0 per cent.
The states yet to reach the 50 per cent bench mark are: Akwa Ibom (39.6), Anambra (35.1), Rivers (48.7), Sokoto (42.1), and Taraba (42.7).
After receiving his first dose of the AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, hailed the efforts of the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Faisal Shuaib, in ensuring that the vast majority of Nigerians receive the vaccine.
He said: “The whole world is passing through a pandemic called COVID-19, and we know that without good health, you cannot perform well. Therefore, symbolically, I have taken the vaccine and you can see that for the past 20 minutes that I have taken the vaccine, I am very okay.
“I would like to advise Nigerians to catch on this opportunity and take the vaccine. If the vaccine is going to be available for us, I will ask and direct my men all over the country to take the vaccine.”