By Rogers Wanambwa

KIU, Main Campus – Last weekend, Uganda received 3.4 million more Pfizer vaccines from the US government. The vaccines were received by Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health. 

“We received a total of 3.4 million doses of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines this weekend from the US Government. @GovUganda appreciates the US Government for supporting the COVID-19 vaccination exercise and the health sector in general,” acknowledged the Minister in a tweet on Sunday, 7th November. 

According to the US Embassy in Uganda, “Combined with previous donations, the United States has now provided more than 5.8 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Uganda.” 

U.S. Ambassador to Uganda Natalie E. Brown, U.S. Mission Uganda CDC Country Director Dr. Lisa Nelson and USAID Mission Director Richard Nelson received this second-weekend shipment of COVID-19 vaccine doses at Entebbe International Airport November 7, together WHO Representative Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, and Ugandan officials including Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng and National Medical Stores representatives -- Board Chairman Dr. Jotham Musinguzi, General Manager Moses Kamabare, and Chief Stores and Operations Manager Paul Okware.  

By November 5th, over 3.6 million Ugandans had received at least one jab of the different vaccines available in Uganda, accounting for 7% of the total population and 415,486 had received the second jab, accounting for 0.9% of the entire population. 

Uganda now has several vaccines including Sinovac, Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson at its disposal. Vaccination points are available across the country and the Kampala International University community is greatly urged to go get vaccinated.