Dr Cyprian Ngon, a Family Physician with National Hospital in Abuja who lost his father to COVID-19 made history on Friday as he became the first person to receive the jab against the virus in Nigeria..
Ngon was carefully chosen as one of the health workers at the frontline of the battle against the virus in Nigeria.
He has been the Head of the COVID-19 Isolation Centre at the National Hospital Abuja since February 2020 when the virus was first detected in Nigeria.
“You can see, I just took the vaccine now and I feel good. I dreamt of taking this vaccine and I have taken it today,” Ngong said while disclosing that he lost his father and many of his colleagues to the virus,” he said in an interview after he was vaccinated.
“I think that is about the best news we’ve had since. I only wished my dad had had that vaccine months ago. We lost him, but we thank God. The fight is still on and we’ll win,” he said
Other health health workers vaccinated at the kick off of the campaign televised on national television from National Hospital, Abuja are: Nurse Faith E. Eragbai, Dr. Nuru Joseph and Dr. Thairu Yunusa.
Nigeria flagged off COVID-19 vaccination after the vaccine was assessed safe by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
With the flagg off, Nigeria was now set to go ahead and use the 3.924 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine received for COVAX on March 2 through the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will receive the vaccine publicly on Saturday to further give confidence to the public.
State Governors and their deputies and other Nigerians leaders have also indicated that they will also receive the vaccine publicly.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has launched a website where Nigerians could log on and register for the vaccination.
Government, therefore, advised citizens to log on to the website on NPHCDC website.
The healthcare development agency said that “to register for the COVID-19 vaccination, visit our website — nphcda.gov.ng — and click on ‘COVID-19 vaccination e-registration.”
