Uganda: President Threatens Officials Over Vaccinations

Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has implored authorities to expand coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination programs to make full use of the incoming doses before their sell-by date.

The 77-year-old head of state also warned on Wednesday night, 22 September, that officials would be dismissed should the approximately 12 million COVID-19 vaccine doses expire before seeing use.

He said: “In any district where vaccines expire, [the Resident District Commissioners, Administrative Directors and District Health Workers] will be fired.”

Shipments of Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Sinovac and Sinopharm, arriving from the United States, Ireland, Belgium and China are expected to arrive in December.

Museveni’s administration also eased the country’s COVID-19 measures, which include: a curfew between 7PM and 5:30AM; only 200 people allowed at places of worship, weddings, burials and other social gatherings; casinos and gyms to close at 6PM.

Bars and other entertainment venues would only reopen once 4.8 million citizens have been vaccinated.

The government aims to inoculate at least six million people by the end of the year.

Uganda has confirmed 122 591 cases of the virus to date – the tally includes the deaths of 2 137 people, and 95 957 who have recovered.

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