Health ministry approves Covid-19 booster shots for Ugandans

By Henry Mugenyi 

The Ministry of Health has approved the use of a Covid-19 booster shot as the country braces for a new wave of the pandemic. The announcement was made by Health minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng. 

The ministry has approved Covid-19 booster shots for people aged 50 yrs and above and those with co-morbidities to further enhance their immunity after a period of six months from their primary vaccination. 

The ministry of health says that it has evaluated evidence in reducing /waning immunity between 6-8 weeks after full vaccination elsewhere in the world, giving it solid stand for the booster doses. 

In a letter signed by Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the ministry approved the mix and matching of covid-19 vaccines from different manufacturers for both the second and booster shots. 

 So far, three types of vaccines are considered in the mix and match. 

1. Viral Vector Vaccines which contain instructions for making coronavirus antigens e.g. AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson

2. mRNA vaccines which use a code from SARS CoV2 to prompt an immune response in recipients e.g. Pfizer and Moderna 

3. Inactivated vaccines where the SARS CoV2 is inactivated or killed using chemicals, heat or radiation e.g. Sinopharm and Sinovac

With the ministry of health highlighting the benefit of enhanced protection and run to in times of scarcity of one type. 

To date, country has registered 135,091 cumulative cases of covid-19, of which 98,287 have recovered and 3,280 have succumbed to the deadly disease with more than 69 active cases admitted in various public health facilities with 73 cases of omicron variant officially registered by the ministry of health. 

According to the ministry of health, for the period between October and December 11th, 2021, the country had completely controlled the disease at a consistent positivity rate of 5% a rate that indicates control of the pandemic. 

In the past two weeks, the country has observed a surge in the number of confirmed covid-19 cases with an average of 173 cases per day registering an increase in the positivity rate currently standing at 12.3% with Wakiso and Kampala highlighted as the most vulnerable districts. 

To-date, the country has received a total of 32,696,440 doses of vaccines of which 20,039,066 doses have been utilized country wide with 12,657,374 doses in the distribution line.