Government to the media: Stop mocking our Covid-19 vaccination efforts

The Minister for ICT and National Guidance Judith Nabakooba has warned media houses against mocking government efforts to vaccinate the population against Covid-19.

The Ministry of Health started the vaccination on March 10, 2021, and since then, Nabakooba said that local media has been making endless reports trying to 'mock' the process.

The media has been loud in questioning the safety of the AstraZeneca Vaccine that was rolled out, among other key issues surrounding the vaccine distribution process.

"Our vaccination strategy is informed by local realities. I want to start today's briefing by condemning in the strongest terms possible subjective media stories that mock our efforts," Nabakooba said while addressing the press on Sunday.

Nabakooba said that when it comes to pandemics, western intervention is something that western audiences enjoy seeing and it is so unfortunate that some local media houses have as well picked up what she called "colonial mentality."

Nabakooba said that for the record, Uganda has had one of the most successful Covid-19 interventions world over and the media should pick such successful stories.

"Our strategy could be slow at the beginning, but is is consistent and efficient. The vaccine is safe and at the end, all Ugandan's will be vaccinated," Nabakooba said.

Nabakooba added that as government, they demand that whoever chooses to tell the Ugandan story must do so in an informed and objective manner.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, at least 40,000 people have so far been vaccinated against Covid-19 and Nabakooba said that the choice of strategy is not because of lack of money, but it's about availability of the vaccine globally.

On Saturday, President Yoweri Museveni received his first Covid-19 jab and Nabakooba said this was to instil confidence in the public.