The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) has urged state governments to enforce mass vaccination against COVID-19 as part of measures of combatting the pandemic.
The agency disclosed this in its latest advisory in Abuja.
It urged state governors to enact and enforce vaccination mandates for local and state government workers.
This advisory is coming at a time when the percentage for fully vaccinated Nigerians stalled at 4.2 percent, while those that had taken their first dose remained at 9.8 percent as of January 9, 2022.
Not fewer than 38 deaths were recorded between January 1 and January 8, according to NCDC.
Despite the increasing number of cases and deaths, some states have not vaccinated up to 200,000 individuals while Abia, Kogi and Niger states have not commenced administration of booster shots.
NPHCDA urges states to set up mass vaccination sites in markets, others
But the NPHCDA in its bid to speed up vaccination, in its advisory told governors that it was part of their responsibility to enact and to enforce vaccine mandates on state and local government workers.
Only Kaduna and Ondo states had also enforced vaccine mandates on state workers.
The advisory reads thus: “Enact and enforce vaccine mandate for all state and local government workers, direct mandatory set up of mass vaccination sites in public places including markets, parks, event centres, stadia and academic institutions.
“Approve and direct the release of state counterpart funds for advocacy, communication and social mobilization, logistics and additional teams in quarterly tranches.
“Pay weekly unscheduled visits to at least one mass vaccination site to supervise and motivate the vaccination teams, chair weekly review meetings with traditional and religious leaders to address vaccination gaps.
