The Government of Uganda has recommended security forces personnel, Health workers, teachers, journalists, market vendors and Boda-boda riders who completed their first course of vaccination, among priority groups selected for booster doses of the COVID vaccine alongside the elderly members of the public.
The decision was relayed today by the health minister, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, while delivering an update on COVID-19 response in Uganda including vaccination coverage and implementation of presidential directives following the gradual opening of the economy.
In a statement issued on Friday, Dr Aceng also said the drivers and conductors of all passenger vehicles, bar and night club workers, and religious leaders are among the new priority group that will soon take the booster jabs.
“..I had indicated that we shall start giving booster doses to those who are ready to receive beginning February 2022 except for the elderly who have already started. However, following the directive of HE the president, the ministry will administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the following priority areas; security personnel, health workers, teachers in both primary, secondary and post secondary institutions, boda-boda riders, drivers and conductors of all passenger vehicles, bar and night club workers, market workers and vendors, religious leaders, and the media.” The minister’s statement issued on Friday reads.
“We shall have health workers, teachers, and security forces now, to the elderly while the rest will come on board at the end of March 2022.” Dr Aceng said.
Aceng said, the aforementioned groups were recommended for booster doses due to their high level of contact with other members of the public during their day-to-day activities. Aceng said the recommended groups are eligible for booster if they completed their primary vaccine series at least 6 months ago.
President Museveni this week took his booster doses of covid-19 vaccine as the country kicked off the ongoing campaign to have all those above 50 years of age in Uganda get their booster doses.
Dr Aceng said the government of Uganda continues to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination as a strategic intervention to protect the population from the severe effects of coronavirus and control of the pandemic including the new variants.
A booster dose is a dose of vaccine that is given to someone who is already fully vaccinated after a specified period, in this case, 6 months. This offers additional protection against the threat of the new COVID-19 variants like Omicron.
So far, Minister Aceng said 12,085,428 doses og COVID vaccines have been administered to the population and to date, 10,315,951 of the 22 million priority persons in Uganda have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the ministry of health, 2,236,544 people have been vaccinated using Johnson and Johnson vaccine while 1,769,477 have received the second dose of their initial vaccine and are therefore fully vaccinated. This brings a total of fully vaciinated people in Uganda to 4,006,021 which is 18.2% coverage of the total eligible population.