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Health ministry explains few Covid vaccination numbers
NTV journalist Edward Muhumuza receives the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine jab during the launch of the mass vaccination at Mulago Women’s Specialised Hospital in Kampala last week. PHOTO/ KELVIN ATUHAIRE
The Ministry of Health yesterday reported that only 1,015 people countrywide have been vaccinated against Covid-19, which is less than 1 per cent of the target of 150,000 healthcare workers who government had planned to vaccinate by end of today.
The Health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, on March 5, while receiving the first batch of Covid-19 vaccines at Entebbe International Airport, said: “The initial group [to be vaccinated] will be health workers in public health facilities followed by those in private facilities. This will be done from March 10 to 15.”
In an interview with Daily Monitor yesterday, Dr Alfred Driwale, the head of immunisation at the Ministry of Health, said they have had to change the vaccination schedules due to delays in delivering the vaccines and other essential materials to most districts.
“Those figures [the number of people vaccinated] are coming from only six districts. Most districts will be starting Covid-19 vaccination this week and the figures will rise exponentially,” Dr Driwale said.
He said the exercise is going on in Kampala, Wakiso, Kyotera, Lira and two other districts.
The country started the vaccination last Wednesday after receiving 964,000 doses of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine through donations.
“We received the last batch of the vaccines on March 7. And to deliver the vaccines to all districts, ordinarily you need 10 days and that would take us up to March 17,” Dr Driwale said.
He added: “But because it is an emergency, the National Medical Stores put enough efforts and they distributed the vaccines within four days and by Friday the last district got the vaccines.”
Once the district gets the vaccine, they need to prepare internally to start distributing to different vaccination points.
New directive
“But with the delays to deliver vaccines and vaccination cards, we told the districts that there is no need to hurry just to meet the deadline of March 15. We asked them to make adequate internal preparations and kick-start,” Dr Driwale said.
He added: “Vaccination will be starting in most districts by Monday (today) and Tuesday. We have cautioned them that by Wednesday, the last district must have started vaccination activities. So from next week, you will see more districts vaccinating and more numbers coming up.”
Each district has at least five vaccination points in selected health facilities, according to the Ministry of Health.
Both the government chief scientific adviser on Covid-19 vaccine access and deployment, Prof David Sserwadda, and Dr Driwale, said the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and encouraged people to take the jabs.
Prof Sserwadda said there is no indication that the vaccine is linked to in
creased risk of blood clots or complications after the jab and that investigation regarding safety issues being reported in other countries is also going on.
CONCERN FOR SAFETY
At least 10 countries have been reported by the European Medical Agency and media agencies to have suspended or delayed vaccination following cases of adverse reactions and death after the jabs with AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The Ministry of Health spokesperson, Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, in a tweet on Friday last week said there is an established system for vaccine recipients to report serious adverse reactions. “There is a hotline for those who experience after-effects following immunisation.
There’s someone ready to respond to all queries. Secondly, if it turns out to be a serious adverse event following immunisation then a team is deployed to conduct a detailed investigation. You can reach through the Toll-free number 0800 101 999 and Whatsapp 0791 415 555,” he tweeted on Friday.
