President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha and other influential Nigerians will be among the first people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on live television to help drive awareness.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Faisal Shuaib, announced this at Thursday’s briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.

In terms of the prioritization of vaccines and strategic country leadership, Shuaib said, “what it means that on Tuesday I had mentioned that we will like to see a situation where Mr. President, the Vice President, the SGF, critical leaders come and take the vaccine in full glare of the public to demonstrate that this vaccine is safe. So we have to make provisions for those.

“But even in developed countries, what we have seen is that apart from the prioritization of health workers, you have to also identify critical leaders that you don’t want them to be wiped off by the virus.

“For example, in warfare, if you want to destroy your enemies, you look for specific leaders, captains, the generals, once you decapitate them, then the soldiers will become weak.

“So, as much as possible you do not want to also leave your leaders vulnerable to COVID-19, it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean you want to prioritize politicians, that is not correct.

“I emphasized during the last briefing that we will prioritize our health workers because they are the ones in direct contacts with cases in isolation units.”

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