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LASG targets 60% roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in coming weeks

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed the state government’s plan to vaccinate 50 to 60 per cent of the state's population after successful talks with Pfizer, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna.
babajide sanwo olu
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Photo credit: The Source

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has revealed the state government’s plan to vaccinate 50 to 60 per cent of the state's population after successful talks with Pfizer, Oxford-AstraZeneca and Moderna.

This is to help check rate of transmission and build the resilience of the State against COVID-19.

This was disclosed on a live television programme, "Sunday Politics", anchored by Channels TV’s Kayode Okikiolu. He also spoke on activities of his government since inception and other germane issues around development of Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu said the state government did not have the plan to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to all residents, as the State may not have the resources to do that; he said critical segments in the State population would be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity against the pandemic.

Aside the vaccine arrangement being made by the Federal Government for states, the Governor said Lagos, which is the epicentre of COVID-19 infection, has activated plans to augment the vaccine that would be delivered to the state.

He said: “As a sovereign, we want the Federal Government to take the lead in getting the vaccine. As a sub-national Government, we are taking our destiny into our own hands. We have started conversation with some of the vaccine manufacturers. I have made contact with Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca. Developers of Moderna have written to us and we have written back to them.

“We are making our own sub-national contacts and part of the things to come out of this effort is that, once we see what the national government is doing in terms of protocols, then we can plan for our roll-out. The contacts we made with vaccine developers are at the board level.

“We don’t have to vaccinate the whole of 22 million people in Lagos. The plan is around ensuring that there is herd immunity and that typically speaks to 50 to 60 percent of our population. That’s the target we need to really meet in vaccine roll-out.”

On how Lagos would get resources to fund its vaccine programme, the Governor said the bulk of the finances would be realised from the private sector donations and international grants, adding that the state government also had allocation for COVID-19 project in its 2021 budget.