Young people dominate Covid vaccination drive

Ms Jovia Nanyomo, a 23-year-old resident of Kampala, took her first jab of Covid-19 vaccine yesterday at Old Taxi Park in the capital city.

“It is my first dose of [Covid-19] vaccine, and they vaccinated me with Pfizer. Some of us have the dream of moving out of the country in the near future [and so], we have to get vaccinated,” she spoke to Daily Monitor at around 11:10 am, a few minutes after taking the jab.

“I first feared coming here because people were saying those who are vaccinated were dying, but this time, I was like God takes what he wants when the time has reached. So, I just decided to come here,” she added.

Like Ms Nanyomo, a 28-year-old Charles Okung, who also took his first dose of Pfizer vaccine, said there was no restriction on the age group or specific category that should take the jab. 

Both of them didn’t fall in the category of high-risk groups that total 4.8 million that the government said should be vaccinated to allow the full reopening of schools in January and revising the lockdown restrictions. 

Mr James Nakibinge, the head of data management at the centre, said the vaccination, which runs from 9am to 5pm, will end on Saturday.  He said they are vaccinating at least 2,000 people per day. He admitted that they are receiving many young people, but said they were yet to analyse the data.   Many government scientists and health officials have regarded the high turn up of young people as wastage of vaccines, saying it doesn’t contribute much to the big picture of curing hospitalisation and death.  

At another centre at the City Square, the number of people below 40 years who were turning up for the exercise far outweighs those of 50 years and above. 

Dr Leonard Marumgu, the government specialist at City Square vaccination centre, said they are receiving many young people. He said they are gearing at the target of vaccinating 4.8 million people for economy to reopen. 

“The uptake has been so impressive because the centres are closer to people. People can walk from their shops and work places. We have four vaccination points and around 30 health workers working at the centres,” he said. 

He said they are vaccinating more than 1,000 people per day and about 20 to 30 percent are the elderly. 

Dr Henry Kajumbula, the head of infection control at the government scientific advisery committee on Covid-19, told this reporter earlier that vaccinating young people is not in line with the initial plan of the ministry.

The Health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, said: “Hospitalisation and death due to Covid-19 is predominant among those 50 years and above.” 

But she said only 1.7 percent (56,924 out of 3.3 million) of the elderly had been fully vaccinated, which is too low when compared to 34.2 percent of health workers and 19.4 percent of security workers who are fully vaccinated. Their vaccination for the said groups was prioritised right from the start of the exercise in March. 

“We have realised that the youth are more agile and come very quickly. The elderly are asking that we should follow them to where they are because of challenges of transport ...” she said. 

Prof Freddie Ssengooba, the health policy specialist at Makerere University, said door-to-door vaccination should be used to reach the elderly.

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