Uganda to receive over 500,000 Covid-19 doses

Uganda is set to receive 586,080 doses of Covid vaccines at the end of this week, according to the Ministry of Health.
 On Saturday, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health spokesperson, tweeted: “Uganda  has received  pre-alerts for the arrival of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine  and Sinovac vaccine doses due next week on July 30 and 31  respectively. Shipping to be handled by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Uganda.”

Dr Alfred Driwale, the programme manager for Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI), said 286,080 doses of AstraZeneca are a donation from Norway government under dose sharing through COVAX facility.      
 These are scheduled to arrive at Entebbe on July 30.
A total of 300,000 doses are expected from China. 
In February, the Chinese government donation to Uganda was announced by Chinese Special representative Yang Jiechi during a meeting with President Museveni at State House, Entebbe. Ugandan scientists had already advised the government to consider Sinovac and Britain’s AstraZeneca.
Uganda has administered more than 1.1m doses of AstraZeneca vaccine. 

 Asked on who will benefit from this batch, Dr Driwale said: “It’s going to be a mixture of those who are due for second dose after three months and those who are getting for the first time.”
Uganda started Covid-19 vaccination on March 10 with low momentum, but many people are now embracing the exercise.  The country targets to vaccinate 21.9 million people despite the global shortage of vaccines.

Last week, Dr Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, said every opportunity to access vaccines should be granted to Africa so that they are able to save lives and reopen economies.
Many of the vaccines used in the continent are a donation from other countries and the Covax initiative.
Some members of the public have asked the government to address the issue of fake vaccines and ensure a fair access to vaccines.