Uganda suspends mass Covid-19 vaccination amid shortage
Tuesday June 08 2021
A staff member of Uganda's Ministry of Health holds a dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine at Mulago referral hospital in Kampala, on the first day of a vaccination campaign on March 10, 2021. BADRU KATUMBA | AFP
Kampala,
Uganda has suspended mass vaccination against Covid-19 as the country waits to receive more vaccines from different sources, an official said on Tuesday.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua by telephone that the mass vaccination would resume when the new orders arrive.
"For now mass vaccination is suspended as we wait to receive more vaccines," Ainebyoona said.
He noted that there are few remaining doses that will continue to be used for priority groups like health workers, elderly and those with other conditions.
Ministry of Health figures show that as of Monday, 748,676 people had been vaccinated out of the 964,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that the country received in March.
Last month, the country recalled unused vaccines from upcountry and launched mass vaccination in the capital Kampala following an upsurge in the number of cases.
The country's President, Yoweri Museveni, on Sunday said Uganda would soon receive 175,000 vaccines of AstraZeneca and the 300,000 doses that were donated by China.
Mr Museveni also said the country plans to buy vaccines from China, Russia, Cuba and the Unites States of America.
The latest Ministry of Health report indicates that by Monday, the country had registered 53,961 Covid-19 cases, with 383 deaths since the first case was reported in March last year.