HEALTH

Vaccination for COVID-19 is now open to people without a national identification card, the Ministry of Health has said.

According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Emmanuel Ainebyona, one can use a letter of introduction from Local Council (LC)1, a passport, driving permit, school’s ID or a next of kin ID.

He said the lack of a national ID should not be reason for a person seeking vaccination to be turned away, and called on the public to see anything in their means to be inoculated.

Previously, President Yoweri Museveni and the health ministry had directed that only Ugandans with national IDs were eligible for vaccination.

However, Ainebyona explained in a phone interview that the purpose of identification is to “document and follow up”.

This followed citations of lack of national IDs as one of the major constraints to vaccination for some members of the public.

Uganda is racing to have its population protected from the coronavirus

In a meeting to launch a vaccination campaign in Nakawa Division this week, the chairman of Village 8, Ntinda Parish, Evans Baigana Matama, said some of his residents were not showing up for vaccination because they don’t have national IDs.

He, therefore, asked the authorities to allow chairpersons to avail letters of introduction to their residents for vaccination.

As the country races to get more people inoculated to fully open up the economy by January, the public sector has taken up initiative supplement government efforts.

Uganda Breweries Limited, Vision Group, KCCA and other partners are running a campaign, “Fenna Tugemebwe” which, at Kololo Airstrip last weekend, had up to 2,814 people vaccinated in two days.

For this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the campaign is in different places, including at Old Tax Park, City Square, Samitto Bar & Lounge, Naalya, La Venti Hotel & Spa, Najjera and Alchemist Bar, Bugolobi.

According to the health ministry, as of October 20, a total of 2,688,361 doses had been administered. 

However, there is a noticeable spike in new cases, especially in the districts of Kampala, Gulu, Kitgum and Kumi.