The government has appointed a revered professor of infectious diseases and former dean of the school of public health, David Serwadda, as the chairperson of the newly constituted National COVID-19 Vaccine Committee.

Three other Makerere University medical school dons have also been appointed on the committee, which the government has set up to fast-track the procurement and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine across the country.

The committee has also been tasked to enhance local research mechanisms to ensure that the country develops its own COVID-19 vaccine.

The other three committee members are the dean of the school of public health, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, the former deputy vice-chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. William Bazeyo, and renowned internal medicine researcher, Prof. Nelson Sewankambo.

Speaking about the appointments, the vice-chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, said: “I congratulate MAK professors Serwadda, Bazeyo, Wanyenze, and Sewankambo on being appointed to the National COVID-19 Vaccine Committee. Makerere’s leadership in the fight against this pandemic is clear.”