Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng
The Ministry of Health has revealed plans to allow private hospitals to vaccinate Ugandans against COVID-19 to supplement Government efforts.
The remarks were made by Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng while addressing journalists at Uganda Media Center today about the ongoing COVID-19 Vaccination exercise in the country and key highlights in the one-year journey in the fight against COVID-19.
Aceng said that to-date 32,526, people have received their 1st dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The Ministry of Health is in the process of accrediting private health facilities to provide COVID-19 vaccination. The list of these facilities will be provided once an understanding has been reached and a memorandum of understanding has been signed spelling out the modalities of the collaboration,” Aceng said.
She added that the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS) reviewed all available information and data on thromboembolic events (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets) after vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
The results indicated that AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continues to have a positive benefit-risk profile, with tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths across the world and that the available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions such as deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism following administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
The global health body advised countries to consider continuing to roll out AstraZeneca vaccine, while ensuring that they continue to monitor the safety of all COVID-19 vaccine events through effective surveillance systems & promote reporting and follow-up of any suspected adverse event
The Ministry of Health has also asked organizations interested in providing vaccines to their employees to write to the Director General Health Services requesting to import COVID-19 vaccines which are cleared by WHO for Emergency use and approved by NDA for use in Uganda.
The Minister said that the letter should indicate the number of employees and their dependents that are eligible for vaccination, however, Government has reserved the right to import the COVID-19 jabs in the country with Aceng saying importation will be allowed through the National Medical stores for purposes of maintaining the cold chain and viability of the vaccines.
