Kano residents are showing apathy to take the AstraZeneca Vaccine, a survey by reporters showed on Thursday
Most of the centres designated for the administration of the vaccine were visibly deserted. Medical personnel charged with the responsibility of administering the vaccine were also not at their duty posts.
A team of reporters supervising the vaccination exercise yesterday visited the vaccination areas, including the Coordinating Centre at Abdullahi Wase Hospital, but met empty places.
Convincing the people to be vaccinated that the vaccine is safe is the biggest challenge faced by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who was not in the state as at the time of filing this report.
After receiving 209,520 doses of the vaccine for the first phase of the exercise, Ganduje was vaccinated by his personal physician, Dr. Fakhraddeen Yahaya Muhammad, at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano, on March 11.
The governor, who said his administration is targeting 70 per cent vaccination of residents, told stakeholders during meetings that Kano people must be sensitised and educated to take the vaccine.
When reporters yesterday asked the whereabouts of the medical officers administering the vaccine, they were told they went to the palace of the Emir of Kano to launch the Kano Municipal Vaccination exercise.
However, on reaching the emir’s palace, a few medical officials were seen rushing to the Wali House, apparently to administer the vaccine on him.
The medical officials turned down questions on the number of persons vaccinated as well as the general response in Kano.
Reporters also went to Murtala Muhammed Hospital, where Governor Ganduje took the vaccine. There, medical officials in charge of administering the vaccine opened up on how they were having problems registering prospective persons to be vaccinated.
“We are having serious problems processing data, because there is no network for people’s register. The few ones we have vaccinated used their international passports before we vaccinated them,” one of them said.
The doctors said they commenced vaccination exercise at about 11.30a.m. and at 2p.m., only 10 persons, using their international passports, were vaccinated.
Commissioner of Health Dr. Ibrahim Aminu Tsanyawa refused to pick telephone calls several times. He did not respond to messages either.
