The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday said the state would start the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine at the weekend.

Sanwo-Olu, who stated this when he received the country representative of the World Health Organisation, Dr Walter Mulombo, at the State House, Alausa, noted that the committee set up for the vaccine administration was in the final stage of the deployment of the vaccine.

The governor in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said he was optimistic that the vaccine rollout would be successfully implemented, adding that the state’s Primary Healthcare Board would lead the effort in achieving herd immunity.

He said, “We have instituted a steering committee for the vaccine administration, which comprises health practitioners in the public and private sectors. They have designed a robust vaccine implementation strategy and they have identified various segments of our citizens who need to get first and in what order.

“Working with the state Primary Healthcare Board, we will start administering the vaccine by the weekend. We are leading from the front to convince our citizens that the vaccine is needed to build resistance, especially among frontline workers and those who have underlying issues.”

Mulombo said the WHO recognised the state government’s contribution towards making Nigeria polio free, noting that the country had shown courageous efforts in its response to stop COVID-19.

He said, “We are here to assure you of the UN’s continued support for Lagos State in combating health issues. We look forward to that leadership displayed in the early days of COVID-19 response and urge Lagos to show the same in rolling out the vaccine.”