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As controversies continue to trail the N6,000 administrative for COVID-19 vaccination, the Lagos State government yesterday said that only those wish to receive the vaccines within the comforts of a private facility will have to pay.
Reactions had continued to trail the payment of N6,000, which the state government described as administrative cost for the two doses which covers the cost that the private sector will incur to facilitate the administration of the vaccine which includes logistics, personnel, quality oversight, administrative and overhead costs.
Some residents had accused the state government of placing price on the vaccines that were donated to the country free of charge.
But in a statement by the State Ministry of Health, the government said that the cost will be proportionally lower for single dose or those wishing to take a single booster dose.
The statement said: “It is imperative to emphasize that the vaccines administered in public facilities is free and would remain free to the public as they were contributed to us by the Federal Government and our donor partners, those wishing to receive the vaccines can go to any of the designated 206 government facilities and receive their dose totally free of charge.
The government, however, said that those that wish to receive the vaccines within the comforts of a private facility can do so at a minimal administrative cost of N6,000 for two doses which covers the cost that the private sector will incur to facilitate the administration of the vaccine which includes logistics, personnel, quality oversight, administrative and overhead costs. “The cost will be proportionally lower for single dose or those wishing to take a single booster dose,” the statement said.
The State Government also said that it has developed a robust vaccination strategy leveraging on both the strengths of the public and private sectors of our healthcare system with a full understanding that a substantial proportion of the population will need to be vaccinated to mitigate the impact of a fourth wave in Lagos and reduce the impact of the ongoing spread of the COVID-19 virus and prevent the re-emergence of the catastrophes witnessed during the previous waves.
The government said that the strategy dubbed ‘Count Me In! 4 million Lagosians Vaccinated Against COVID-19’ was aimed at targeting the full vaccination of four million Lagos residents before the end of December 2021; and was launched by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu alongside the Honorable Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi and the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Faisal Shuaib.
“The side event of the 7th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity which focused on Vaccine strategies. Once achieved, this will bring the State closer to the Mr. Governors mandate to vaccinate 30% of the Lagos population within one year which started in August of 2021. This is a concerted effort to achieve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target of vaccinating 40% of the world before the end of this year. Lagos thus far has only been able to fully vaccinate just under 3% of its population,” the statement said.
