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Museveni gets Covid-19 vaccination booster jab as cases surge
President Museveni pictured taking his Covid-19 vaccine booster dose in Rwakitura, Western Uganda on January 4, 2022.
What you need to know:
- According to him, fully vaccinated people are able to fight the new Omicron variant which is considered highly contagious.
President Museveni on Tuesday received his Covid-19 vaccination booster shot amid surging cases of the virus in the country.
The president who’s fully vaccinated with AtraZeneca said he was advised by his doctors to get a booster dose of Pfizer to enhance his immunity against the virus that has so far infected 145,963 Ugandans and killed 3,306 since March 2020 when the outbreak was confirmed in the country.
“My doctors, Diana Atwine (Health Ministry P.S) and Dr Magooba, an army officer have just given me a booster dose. Atwine this time brought another clan of vaccine. She said that for the booster to work well, I should get another clan, from the one I had been originally vaccinated with. Because I had been vaccinated two times with AtraZeneca, now she has brought the clan of Pfizer. She said when you do that, you get more mobilisation of the body immunity to resist against the virus. They said mixing vaccines is not only alright but even better. So, this is just to alert all of you that you should get fully vaccinated,” Mr Museveni said, a day after the Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed 1,423 new virus cases with 21.6 percent positivity rate.
The president reiterated that he will fully reopen the economy when 22 million Ugandans aged 18 years and above are fully vaccinated.
“I told you that the efforts we're going to rely on to reopen the economy and society will be full vaccination of 22 million Ugandans who are 18 years and above but also booster doses for the 3.3 million Ugandans aged 50 years and above, a constituency where I very rightfully fit because I am now 50 plus 27,” he said.
According to him, fully vaccinated people are able to fight the new Omicron variant which is considered highly contagious.
“I'm getting reports that people who have been fully vaccinated quickly overcome this new variant (Omicron).That they just get a little fever and recover. So please, this is not a joke. You should get vaccinated,” he said.
A total of 11.37 million vaccine doses have so far been administered, out of the 32 million doses received since March last year, according to government.
At least 98,497 people have recovered from the virus with 84 currently admitted at different health facilities across the country.
At least 2.1 million people have been tested for the virus since March 2020 when the outbreak was confirmed in the country whose population is estimated at 45 million Ugandans.
