By Spy Uganda
The government of Uganda has today launched the Covid-19 Vaccination campaign at Mulago Specialized Women and Neonatal Hospital where the minister of health and a number of government officials received their first dose.
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Last week, Uganda received the first 864,000 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine donations from the COVAX facility and an additional 100,000 doses donated by the government of India.
Speaking at the launch, the minister said the Covid-19 vaccines have been distributed to over 40 districts and by the close of business today, the number of districts that have received the vaccines will be 55.
READ ALSO: Uganda Receives First Batch Of AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine
Vaccines will be given to eligible persons eight weeks (56 days). However, this can be extended up to 12 weeks as recommended by the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunizations.
However, according to the Chairperson of the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory in Uganda, Prof. David Sserwadda Ugandans should maintain COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) even after being vaccinated saying that the first dose can’t save one from transmitting the virus.
“If you are getting vaccinated, you still have to carry out all the standard operating procedures that are in place,” Prof. Sserwadda said.
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Prof. Sserwadda said that the health ministry is ‘reasonably comfortable that the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is fairly safe.’ He however reiterated that taking the vaccine will be voluntary.
” I don’t think it would be advisable to force. There is always hesitancy when any vaccine is introduced. It would be prudent that all health workers take this vaccine very seriously,” Prof. Sserwadda said.
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The launched vaccination campaign target 21,936,011 people equivalent to 49.6 percent of the population of Uganda compared with the target population earlier communicated (60 percent and 27,000,000 people) in line with WHO and Africa CDC global guidance.
Courtesy Feature Image: Daily Monitor.
