Akwa Ibom state government has received up to 69,030 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine sent by the federal government.
The vaccine arrived Attah International airport around 5:30pm on Wednesday and was offloaded from the aircraft.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Augustine Umoh, received the vaccines on behalf of the state government and ensured that the vaccines would be preserved at the state cold chain facility.
He assured that the vaccines were safe and good for injection.
A statement signed by the state Commissioner for information and Strategy, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said healthcare workers would be the first group to inject the vaccine.
Accordingly, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly in a motion on Thursday directed Ministry of Health, Information and Strategy as well as Ethical and Attitudinal Re-orientation Commission to immediately embark on massive sensitisation campaign to enlighten the people on the potency, safety, efficacy and functionality of COVID-19 vaccines.
The House urged the state government and relevant agencies to list categories of persons that would be vaccinated with the first batch of the vaccines as well as make public, schedules and centres where the exercise will take place for the avoidance of doubt by the people.
It also called on the Ministry of Health and relevant agencies of government to devise suitable means and preparedness to store, distribute and administer the vaccines on the people appropriately.
