According to the data from the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization (UNEPI), they are considering picking 91,000 vaccine doses from 36 districts across the country.
The Ministry of Health is considering retrieving covid-19 vaccines from districts
that have failed to utilize them.
According to the data from the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization
(UNEPI), they are considering picking 91,000 vaccine doses from 36 districts
across the country.
Some of the districts have only used 1,000 vaccines out of the 5,000
doses that they received. They include Adjumani, Amolotar, Kotidio, Bulisa, Nwoya, Kagadi,
Bunyagabu, Bukwo Kyenjojo, Sironko, Kaberamaido, Otuke and Omoro.
Dr Alfred Driwale, the UNEPI programme manager says leaving the vaccines
in the under performing districts to expire will defeat the purpose of
vaccination.
//Cue in;" There are districts...
Cue out ...expire."//
It is more than two months since the vaccination exercise began.
Dr Driwale says that originally they thought by now they would no longer have
any unused vaccines. With all the vaccines expected to expire in the first week
of July, the health officials say something needs to be done.
If the vaccines are retrieved, they will be sent to other districts that are performing well in the vaccination exercise. They include Kampala, Rubirizi, Kanungu, Rukungiri and Bushenyi.
Driwale adds that while retrieving vaccines is an unethical
practice, they have no other option since vaccine uptake during the first phase
of vaccination will determine whether Uganda is given more vaccines or not.
//Cue in; “The main concern...
Cue out...part of the country."//
Uganda received a total of 964,000 vaccines from donations. A total of
653,440 vaccines were sent to districts but only 356,900 vaccines representing
55 percent of available vaccines.
Health ministry officials attribute the low uptake of vaccines in some
parts districts to unresponsive health systems.
"The health systems have failed to respond to their people and take
the vaccines to communities instead of being stationed at health facilities
that might be far," Driwale said.
