Benue State COVID-19 Vaccination Statistic hits Over 98,000
Doctor drawing up Covid-19 vaccine from glass phial bottle and filling syringe injection for vaccination.
By Prosper Okoye –
Recent data from the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, shows that a total of ninety eight thousand, two hundred and seventy one persons have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in Benue State as at the end of January 2022.
Executive Secretary (ES) of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Bem Ageda, revealed this figure, during a One-Day Media Orientation Workshop for COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Campaign held in Makurdi.
State Health Educator, Emmanuel Beeka, who represented the Executive Secretary said out of that number, 180,296 persons took the first jab of the Astrazeneca Vaccine but only 72, 996 took the second jab.
For the Moderna Vaccine, Mr. Beeka noted that 78,541 persons took the first jab with only 25,160 taking the second jab.
While 22,286 persons took the first jab of Pfizer Vaccine, but only 120 persons took their second jab.
“Out of the number of persons that took complete doses of the vaccines, only 996 persons have taken the booster dose”, Beeka said.
Commenting on the ease at which the vaccine is accessed, he said apart from the Primary Health Centers, there are also two hundred and ninety eight vaccination outlets in the state. As well as eleven private health facilities and thirty two mass vaccination sites where people can easily get vaccinated.
He further expressed gratitude to international organizations like: UNICEF for their support in Nigeria and Benue state.
State Epidemiologist, Dr. Samuel Ngishe, recounted the experience of Benue state since the outbreak of the Coronal Virus.
“Benue had recorded a total of 47, 569 suspected cases out of which 2,141 had been confirmed, with Makurdi Local Government Area recording the highest number of deaths followed by Gboko Local Government Area which recorded one death.”
Also speaking, the Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Joseph Ngbea, who was represented by the ministry’s Director of Public Health, Dr Terna Kur, expressed dismay that social, religious, as well as cultural barriers have continued hinder government’s efforts in raising awareness on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccination. He urged society to change of such myth perceptions.
