BENIN CITY – The Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, in collaboration with partners on Thursday flagged off the Scales 3.0 strategy for accelerating COVID-19 vaccination in Edo State.

The ceremony was performed by the state Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Comrade Philip Shaibu.

In his remarks, he reiterated that the health and well-being of Edo people is of the topmost priority of the government agenda.

He assured that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, potent and effective and therefore urged people who were yet to complete their COVID-19 vaccine doses to ensure that they do.

According to him, special mobile vaccination team would be in public strategic locations for easy accessibility.

On her part, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Mrs. Obehi Akoria noted that the Scales 3.0 strategy covers a 3-month vaccination campaign plan that would accelerate COVID-19 vaccination across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

This, she said would be done by identifying unique enablers and deploying specific strategies that could also ramp-up routine immunization and other primary health care services.

The Acting Executive Secretary, Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Gideon Iraoyah, on his part, explained that the Scales 3.0 strategy is in place to increase herd immunity in the state.

Dr. Gideon Iraoyah asserted that everyone is at risk of contracting CORONA VIRUS, because it affects all ages and classes of people.

Dr. Iraoyah further explained that, COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by an emerging stain of corona virus known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 which belongs to the family of Corona Viruses.

Also speaking, Dr. Efemena Onowugbeda, Edo State Coordinator, World Healrh Organization(WHO), said that the aim of Scales 3.0 is to get Edo people vaccinated and be protected against corona virus, while declaring WHO’s fully support of the campaign plan.