HEALTH | COVID-19 | VACCINES

KAMPALA - The National Medical Stores (NMS) has clarified that they have not supplied to Ugandans any COVID-19 vaccines that have expired.

During a debate in Parliament on Thursday, some MPs accused the NMS of supplying vaccines that had expired.

Jonathan Odur (Erute South) expressed fear that NMS had supplied Ugandans with expired vaccines. Odur expressed fear of the limited shelf life of the vaccines supplied if they were not used quickly.

The NMS executive director, Moses Kamabare, and general manager said that it was a false statement made by the MP.

“The COVID-19 vaccines we recently distributed expire at the end of this month. That is how the donation was received,” Kamabare said.

Kamabare explained that all COVID vaccines have six months between manufacture and expiry. “We expect all vaccines in our stock to be used before expiry given the quantities supplied and the huge demand in the districts,” Kamabare said.

Uganda targets to vaccinate the 16-year-olds and above who are 26.7m in number out of the 44.27m population.