Oyo State Government says it has received shipment of the AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccine but its putting in place measures to perfect vaccination exercise in view of the ban and complaints from some European countries.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bashir Bello while briefing newsmen in Ibadan confirmed the receipt of a total of 127,740 doses of the AstraZeneca brand of the Covid-19 vaccine by Oyo State.
He, however, said that the state is putting in place measures to perfect the vaccination process, especially in view of complaints in some countries, particularly most European nations like Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and France.
He said that the state has been putting in place necessary precautions to ensure that nobody who takes the vaccine is put at risk.
He said: “We, too, in Oyo State have to take some basic precautionary measures. One of the measures was that we ensure first of all, because of the potency of the vaccine, the type we got was the one that can only operate within +2degree centigrade to +8degree centigrade which we have at our Jericho Cold Store.
“We are trying to ensure that the state modifies its own website because it is a national website for those intending to take the jabs and this has given rise to some misconceptions because some people wrongfully thought Oyo State has got the vaccine and they don’t know what we are doing.“But the correct information is that there are some information necessary for every individual to be vaccinated. We are now, along with international websites, inputting some pieces of information so that the Oyo State website will be fairly distinct in that we will be able to catch up on some things.
“So, we are trying to take the precautions along with the vaccination procedure. One of the factors some countries gave was intravascular coagulation, a factor which means that the blood will clot within the vessels.
They subsequent result of this is that, if it blocks any part of the body and that body is no longer vesiculated, it will result in paralysis for that side, because there is no blood in circulation. But if perchance it involves the coronary artery, which is a very tiny one, it will lead to shock and immediate death.
“So, in Oyo State, we will add what we call a coagulometer, which we have had at Olodo all along, but it is going to be optional. That is one of the precautions Oyo State is trying to take along with its vaccination procedure.”