The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says the agency has introduced “Sunday vaccination”, which will focus on offering doses of the COVID vaccine in churches across the country.

Faisal Shuaib, NPHCDA executive director, disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), held in Abuja.

According to Shuaib, the NPHCDA has entered into a partnership with CAN on making doses available in churches, in order to promote COVID vaccination in the country.

“I am glad to inform you that from this second phase of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, we have introduced Sunday vaccination,” he said.

“I must say that feedback from the field is very encouraging, and I sincerely thank all Christian leaders who have given the vaccination team access to their churches and their members to receive COVID-19 vaccine during Sunday service.

“Suffice to say that the Christian community contributed immensely to our achieving wild poliovirus certification last year, and indeed our sustaining the country’s polio-free status for over a year now. We are most grateful as a people and government.

“I am aware that in the states and LGAs, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria are strong and committed members of the state and LGA task forces on immunisation.

“These ambassadors have contributed immensely to confidence-building and trust in government-led public health programmes, especially in the days of the Nigeria polio eradication programme, when we were battling with high rate of refusals on vaccination due to rumours and misinformation.”

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The second phase of the COVID vaccination, which began in August, is ongoing in states across the country.