The director-general of health services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Henry Mwebesa, has said Uganda is in the process of procuring over 35 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
He said the country will have the vaccine by the end of February 2021.
“Arrangements are being made with donors, including the World Health Organisation, Unicef, and GAVI under COVAX facility to have the COVID-19 vaccine delivered to us by February 2021,” Mwebesa said.
Uganda will first receive vaccines to cover about 20% of the population. This is an equivalent of nine million people, with funding from COVIX facility.
Mwebesa explained that since each individual will be getting two doses, it implies Uganda will first receive 18 million doses of the vaccine. Each dose will be administered in an interval of one month, he noted.
The COVAX facility will also reserve another batch of 18 million doses to cover a population of nine million and will be paid for by the Government. The two vaccine batches will only benefit 18 million beneficiaries — an equivalent of 42% of the total population at 42 million.
