By Haruna Gimba
Residents of the 18 local government areas of Edo State have besieged health centres to get doses of yellow fever vaccine, few days after the state governor Mr Godwin Obaseki got vaccinated against the disease.
Health Reporters report that Governor Obaseki last week received a dose of the vaccine after the state’s Executive Council weekly meeting, where he commended the Federal Ministry of Health for the prompt delivery of three million doses of the vaccine in response to the outbreak of yellow fever in the state.
Checks at health centres across the state indicate that after the governor’s action and with increased awareness on the need for vaccination, residents have taken up the challenge to also get vaccinated against the disease.
The Head Vaccinator, Mrs Constance Osayi expressed satisfaction with the process, noting that the turnout was impressive, as more people have become aware of the danger of not getting vaccinated.
She however, warned against that the vaccine cannot be administered on pregnant women, infants below nine months old and people on anti-retroviral drugs.
A resident, John Iyamu, who got vaccinated at a Primary Health Center in Auchi, said he didn’t consider taking the vaccine as top priority until he saw the governor on the television being administered with the vaccine.
In Edo Central Senatorial District, residents are responding to calls to be vaccinated as many were seen taking shots of the vaccine at designated health centres.
Governor Obaseki said that the state government provided logistics to get the vaccine to every part of the state, especially where outbreak of the disease was recorded.
