Covid-19: Government starts mass vaccination of children

Henry Mugenyi

Government is set to roll out the mass vaccination of children against Covid-19 starting August to September.

Only children whose parents have consented will be immunised.

The minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng told us that to date the ministry has vaccinated more than 300,000 children against Covid-19 brought voluntarily by their parents to vaccination centres.

According to the Director of Public Health at the ministry of Health, Dr. Daniel Kyabayinze, the mass vaccination of children aged between 12 to 17 years is aimed at containing the pandemic in children and guarantee the continuity of learning without any disturbances.

The drive targets 6.6 million children, he said, saying it is intended to give students in boarding schools an opportunity to get vaccinated.

After an outcry, government in June, banned the vaccination of children in schools and advised interested parents to personally deliver them to hospitals and other designated centres.

As of August 8 2022; 18.27million Ugandans aged 18 years and above had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine while 12.49 million had been fully vaccinated. At least 4.48 million are yet to receive any jab at all.