Uganda has enough vaccines - NMS

By Francis Kagolo                            

The National Medical Stores (NMS) has clarified that Uganda has adequate supplies of the BCG vaccine for Tuberculosis (TB), despite shortages on the global market.

BCG is administered on the right shoulder a few hours after the baby is born to protect them against TB, one of the killer immunizable diseases.

Approximately 1.5 million babies are born in Uganda each year.

“We have enough doses to take us up to February next year, going by our monthly normal delivery schedules,” NMS spokesperson Daniel Kimosho told New Vision.

“We also have a shipping manifest to bring in more stock next month (December). The vaccines are already in transit. So, we don’t expect any shortages.”
 Earlier this week, sections of local media reported that the country was running out BCG vaccines due to global shortage arising out of manufacturing delays.

 Uganda spends over sh38.2b on immunization every year, sh26b of which comes from the Global Alliance for Vaccines Initiative (GAVI), according to Dr. Robert Mayanja, the programme manager of the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation (UNEPI).

“Completing the immunisation schedule helps a child to get adequate protection from all the immunisable diseases. A child should be immunised at birth, six weeks, 10 weeks, 14 weeks and at nine months,” Mayanja said. The country achieved the 90% immunisation coverage target last year, although the report says some (22%) of the 112 districts are under performing.

All the districts of Karamoja region scored poorly on the utilisation of the immunisations services despite the fact that the access to these services was good in the July-September quarter last year.

In the eastern region, underperforming districts include Bulambuli, Katakwi, Kamuli, Kaberamaido, Butaleja, Bukwo, Tororo, Kumi, Kibuku, Bududa, Budaka, Manafwa, Pallisa, Kween and Kapchorwa.