Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has raised concerns over the inadequacy of the COVID-19 vaccines allotted to the state.
The executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib had said the state would receive 1,800 vaccines out of the 100,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that is expected to arrive in the country.
Reacting to the sharing formula when he addressed journalists on Wednesday, Makinde said the state would need more vaccine supplies that what the agency will give them.
He also said the state government does not have the facilities to store the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines at the required minus 70 centigrade.
“On the issue of vaccines, the Federal Government, from what we read, has allocated 1,800 vaccines for Oyo State. First, in Oyo State, we don’t have a facility to store at minus 70 centigrade. Again, this number is grossly inadequate. If you want to vaccinate 100,000 people out of a population of almost 200 million, it is not going to make any dent,” Makinde said.
“And Oyo State, which is a population of between 7-12million, 1,800 vaccines are not going to go anywhere. So, we are exploring other means of getting these vaccines to our people.
Finding a solution, Makinde said the state government would be contracting the manufacturers of Astra-Zeneca vaccine that is more suitable for the state because of storage reasons.
“I have been advised by the experts that the Astra-Zeneca Vaccine is more suitable for Oyo State due to storage instructions. So, we are opening discussions directly with the manufacturer so that we can get as many as possible for our people once it is certified…what I will say to everyone is, you have to own your action. I have to own mine action too.”
The governor also waded in on claims of the country being in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the country is not in a second wave because data shows the first wave has not been flattened.
“With recent happenings and talks on the second wave of COVID-19, it becomes necessary that I address you. Let me start by talking about the issue of this supposed second wave. I have always said that all our responses to covid-19 in Oyo State will be guided by data, science and logic,” he said.
“So, as far as Oyo State is concerned, the data we have is not pointing to a second wave as the curve was never flattened.”
