The number of teachers who have received the first jab of the COVID-19 vaccine has increased from 269,445 seven days ago, to 296,614 as of today.

This implies that 27,169 more teachers have been vaccinated in the last seven days, which indicates that the percentage of teachers immunised has risen from 49% to 54%, according to an update from the health ministry released today (September 27).

“Teaching staff who have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination have increased from 269,445 (49%) seven days ago to 296,614 (54%) as of September 27, 2021. Second dose recipients stand at 102,418 (19%),” the health ministry said.

This comes at a time when more Ugandans continue to flock vaccination centres for a COVID-19 jab. A total of 1,905,039 vaccines have so far been administered countrywide, health ministry statistics show.

The ultimate solution to overcoming the pandemic is vaccination, and government is targeting to vaccinate at least 22 million people.

While addressing the nation and easing more lockdown restrictions on September 22, President Yoweri Museveni called on Ugandans to go for vaccination, saying the country will open up more when 4.8 million people are vaccinated.

These are; people above 50 years (3.3 million), teachers (550,000), medics (150,000), security personnel (250,000), and people aged between 18 – 50 years having comorbidities (underlying sicknesses like HIV, diabetes and hypertension).

The President, who called for continued adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), directed Resident District Commissioners, Chief Administrative Officers and District Health Officers to mobilise the masses for vaccination, he also warned that those who will fail face dismissal.

“If any vaccine expires in your area, I will deal with you; I will dismiss you,” Museveni warned.

Uganda has so far received 2.2 million vaccine doses of different types out of the 12 million doses expected in the country by the end of this year. This figure excludes the 1.7 million vaccine doses administered so far.   

Uganda has received vaccine donations of Sinovac from the People’s Republic of China, in addition to AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Norway, and Pfizer dose from the US among other countries.

According to government, they have made orders for over 11 million vaccines doses (9 million for AstraZeneca and 2 million for Johnson & Johnson).

Another 18 million doses from Sinopharm of China are also expected, but the vaccines have delayed because vaccine-manufacturing countries are limiting access to the drugs.