By Nelson Ekujumi

The second round of administration of COVID-19 vaccines of Nigerians by the the government has witnessed impressive turnout of Lagosians across the 57 local government councils and development council areas of the state.

An assessment visit conducted by the Centre for 21st Century Issues around some of the government approved vaccination centres report that the turnout in most centres visited in the last three weeks has been very impressive to the extent that the vaccinators expressed fear that the vaccines might not be sufficient to cater for those who are coming for the second jab and those who are coming for the first jab which is going on simultaneously.

It will be recalled that the second round of vaccination for those who had taken the first dose earlier in the year, commenced on the 28th of May and is expected to end on the 9th of July, 2021.

Some of the persons who received the second jab when interviewed by our correspondents at the vaccination centres expressed delight and commended the government for living up to it’s word by ensuring that they accessed the second jab at the centres without let or hindrance.

They were particularly delighted that by being given the second dose, the government had gone a step further in immunizing them against the infection of Covid-19 even as they promised to continue observing Covid-19 protocols as a measure towards containing the spread as enunciated by the authorities.

The situation in most Covid-19 vaccination centres monitored, showed an improvement in the waiting time of receipents, from when they arrived the centres, till when they are vaccinated and then told to wait for about 15 minutes for observation before departure, unlike what obtained during the first round of vaccination earlier in the year when a lot of man-hours was exhausted and led to complaints of frustrations by so many receipents. The conduct of the vaccination officials this time was also commended as being courteous and civil to receipents.

By large, the people are coming to the vaccination centres in great numbers on their own to keep up with the appointment of the second round of vaccination, just as new persons are also coming out for the first dose and it is hoped that the government and other stakeholders will continue to sensitize and educate the citizenry on the need for vaccination and regard for Covid-19 protocols at all times, so that we can all collectively play our part in defeating the pandemic very soon.