Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, his deputy, Dr Mannaseh Jatau, on Wednesday received the COVID-19 vaccination jab.
Speaking shortly after receiving the jab, the governor commended the Federal Government for ensuring that Nigeria was not left out of the global vaccine programme.
Yahaya promised to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign in the state through careful mapping and targeting of eligible persons during the first phase.
He said that he took the vaccine publicly in order to demonstrate confidence as well as its safety and efficacy.
He appealed to traditional, religious and political leaders to take the campaign to their domains, followers and supporters across the 11 Local Government Areas of the state.
The governor said: “protection comes from God but it is necessary to take precautions because prevention is better than cure’’.
“Vaccination proves to be effective in reducing morbidity and mortality,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Jatau, who is the Chairman, Coordinating Committee COVID-19, said that the vaccination was to protect the people against the virus.
Jatau said that from the outbreak of the disease to date, the state has recorded 34, 246 cases with 44 deaths.
Dr Habu Dahiru, the Commissioner for Health, said that the state received 71, 340 doses for the vaccination, adding that the exercise would be in four phases starting with frontline health workers.
Dahiru said the ministry had put in place adequate mechanism to supervise and monitor the exercise.
Dr Abduraham Shuaibu, the Executive Secretary Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, thanked the governor for the role he played in fighting the pandemic in the state.
Shuaibu said that by receiving the vaccine publicly, the governor had build confidence in the people who were in doubt of its efficacy.