The government has confirmed that the latest batch of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines that arrived on Thursday this week will only last until November 2021.
Margaret Muhanga, the Minister of State for Primary Health Care received the vaccines at National Medical Stores(NMS )head offices in Entebbe.
The General Manager at the National Medical Stores, Moses Kamabare, says the vaccines have a shelf life of only two months before they are rendered useless.
He urged district authorities to mobilise the masses for vaccination as directed by President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday.
“We expect action this time, that if any dose of vaccine expires in any district, the RDC, CAO, and DHO of that district must lose their jobs he (Museveni)was very clear and we are glad, because most of these districts are getting an average of 1000 doses and you cannot fail to get that number,” Kamabare said.
On her part, Muhanga says the government has put up vaccination centres everywhere across the country for easy access.
“Before we open post secondary [institutions] we need all children above 18 years to get vaccinated. Vaccination centres are everywhere except for bars because as you all know bars are still shut. We want to open vaccination centres in all stadiums, like Namboole, Kololo here and all health centres countrywide. Nobody should give an excuse that they have failed to access these vaccines.,” Muhanga said.
The 655,053 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines were given as a donation to Uganda from the French and Belgian governments. 501,153 doses were donated by the French government while the 153,900 doses were from Belgium.
The Belgian government has committed to donating 350,000 jabs with the next half expected to arrive by December.
This is the second time the French government is donating AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses to Uganda since the last donation of 175,200 doses in June.
Uganda has also received other doses, which include 1,647,270 doses of Pfizer, 647,080 of Moderna and 300,000 doses of Sinovac.
