COVID VACCINE IN UGANDA
Covid Vaccine in Uganda : On 5 March 2021, the ministry of health in Uganda received 864,000 doses of AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine shipped via COVAX facility, the facility that offers universal access to covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine was received with open hands by the people of Uganda because it was an opportunity for the country to fight against covid-19 in Uganda. It should be noted that Uganda confirmed her first case of covid-19 in march 2020 and since the first confirmation, a lot has not gone back to normal and there has been changes in the ways of living, education systems in the country where there was closure of school, a number of entertainment centres, tourism destinations like national parks in Uganda were closed and after opening them a number of activities like gorilla trekking in Uganda where the number of participants were cut from 8 to 6 and many other changes. There were a number of promotional rates of tourism activities in Uganda that were put in place to ensure that a number of tourists visit the country to take part in the different tourism activities in the country.
The arrival of AstraZeneca covid-19 vaccine in Uganda put the world closer to the goal of the need to administer 2 billion doses of covid-19 vaccine by the end of 2021 where Uganda targets vaccinating 49.6 percent of its population in a phased manner with each phase planned to cover 20 per cent of the population.
The minister of health dr Ruth aceng received the doses at Entebbe International airport and accompanied by the members of the COVAX facility and ambassadors of the European Union and countries that enabled the funding of the vaccine so that it is transported to Uganda. It should be noted that the COVAX facility allocated 3,552,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Uganda from January- June 2021 and 2,688,000 doses are expected by June 2021.
The health minister of Uganda dr. Ruth aceng issued a statement that the people that will be given access to the vaccine are the people that are at high risk of contracting the virus and these include; health workers that work in public and private health facilities because they get in contact with many people and since most of them will be caring for covid-19 patients, it makes them eligible for the vaccine.
Other targets were the teachers, security personnel, humanitarian frontline workers and people above 50 years with underlying health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart, kidney, liver disease and also people between the age of 18-50 years of age with the same underlying conditions that are a threat to contracting the virus. For any person having to worry about the safety the vaccine is quite safe because the minister of health dr Ruth Aceng declared it safe and was also vaccinated against the virus and also his Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni the president of Uganda.
For the people interested in receiving the vaccination at any of the government designated are for covid-19 vaccination sites in Uganda then they should consider visiting the following sites in order for them not to miss out on getting vaccinated against the deadly virus that has killed millions of people.
MAKINDYE DIVISION
- Kiruddu National Referral Hospital
- Kisugu Health Centre 3
- Francis Nsambya Hospital
- Kabuli Hospital
CENTRAL DIVISION
- Kisenyi Health centre 4
- Vine medical centre
- City Hall Clinic
- Kamwokya Christian Caring Centre
LUBAGA DIVISION
- Lubaga Hospital
- Mengo Hospital
- Kawaala Hospital
KAWEMPE DIVISION
- Komamboga Health Centre 3
- Kisaasi Church of Uganda MC
- Stephen Mpererwe Hospital
- Kawempe National Referral Hospital
NAKAWA DIVISION
- Butabiika Hospital
- Kiswa Health Centre 3
- China-Uganda Friendship Hospital, Naguru
- UMC Victoria Hospital, Bukoto
