Reported by
Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Uganda. he government of Uganda unveiled the plan to start vaccinating millions of people against COVID-19, next week Wednesday that is 10 March 2021.
This was announced by the Ministry of Health, revealing that the first batch of COVID-19 jabs, comprising of 864000 dozes of AstraZeneca vaccine, is expected in the country this Friday.
Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said that the National launch will be on the 8 March 2021, and that the government health institutions have been designated as vaccination services in each district.
Dr Aceng revealed this while addressing the media at the Ministry of Health headquarters and also added that the target population has been revised with guidance from World Health Organization.
However the target population the vaccination has been re-adjusted from 60 percent to 49.6
“The revised target population for vaccination in Uganda, turns at 21,936,011 persons , equivalent to 49.6 percent of the population of Uganda, compared with target population earlier communicated of 60 percent and 27 million people. This is inline with WHO and African CDC global guidance. The reduction is the result of adjustment of target group, from 16 to 18 years for the AstraZeneca vaccine.” said Dr Aceng.
Back ground and update of COVID-19 in Uganda
Uganda recorded the first COVID-19 patient in March 2020, and since September 2020 the outbreak has evolved and transitioned to phase 4.
To date, the cumulative number of COVID-19 confirmed cases stands at 40,367, reported and validated death at 334 and 14,989 recoveries.
Who are the first priorities?
Dr Aceng explained that phase one of COVID-19 vaccine will be given to 150,000 government and private health workers, 250,000 security personal.
550,000 teachers, 3,348.300 elderly persons from the age of 50 and above, and 500,000 persons with underlying conditions aged below 50 years.
Vaccination program
According to Ministry of Health, Uganda will need a total up to 45 million doses of vaccines, if all the vaccines provided are of two doses to vaccinate a population of 22 millions and extra doses to cater for the refugee population and that a person will require 2 doses of the vaccine spaced by 8 weeks.
But why did Uganda opt for AstraZeneca?
The government insisted on procuring AstraZeneca vaccine despite reports which said that the vaccines have low levels of efficacy against some new strains of COVID-19.
In February 2021 while Dr Aceng was giving update on COVID-19, she explained that they opted for AstraZeneca because the vaccine is still efficient against the current strain in Uganda.
She added that the vaccine’s technology was tested for over a century, and that the vaccine fridges in Uganda’s health facilities meet the storage temperature requirement of 2 to 8 degrees.
“The National Drug Authority has only approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in Uganda.” Dr Aceng.”
Why some people mistrust AstraZeneca?
The mistrust started when South Africa stopped its rollout of AstraZeneca vaccine, and people started questioning its efficacy.
AstraZeneca was also tested on about 2000 people according to DW, and the results which came out showed that it provided “minimal protection” against moderate COVID-19 disease from the B,1,351 coronavirus variant.
But Dr Ronald Waswa of Pentagon Medical Centre while speaking to our AFP reporter, he commended and appreciated the government of Uganda’s efforts towards the fight AF any epidemic of any disease.
He also recommended and supported the use of AstraZeneca vaccine one Ugandans, and also sensitised people especially the elderly and people with breathing problem to immunise.
“We have been on the bad side that we are hit by a lot of diseases in Uganda, including HIV, Ebola, Cholera and the like. So this thing of bringing the vaccine is really recommendable and I don’t have any objection towards it. They have made various research and found out that the drug can at list hope so much a big percentage, though they have not come out to say that it is 99 percent, but its good that we have a good percentage that it can protect against coronavirus.” Said Dr Waswa.
W.H.O take about AstraZeneca
The World Health Organization recommends the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for adult above 18 years of age, although they are coronavirus variants present.
Mean while the World Health Organization revealed that the COVID-I9 infections globally rose last week, for the first time in seven weeks.
WHO directed secretary general Tedros Adhanom, who said that the increase in cases was disappointing but not surprising.
Tedros noted that this is taking place everywhere in the world, apart from Africa and Western Pacific region, attributing the increase in cases to relaxing of public health measures and continued circulation of variants.
