Uganda is all ready to destroy 400,000 doses of vaccine of COVID-19 in the Acholi sub-region.
The government of Uganda has secured nearly 500,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, which can be used in November 2021 to hit the target to vaccinate 22 million Uganda citizens above the age of 18.
Less than half of this mark has so far been achieved.
According to the health minister, Jane Ruth Aceng, unfortunately, only 100,000 vaccines have been used so far; however, there are 400,000 doses to waste.
As per sources, 279 doses were unused and had expired.
She further said, “Moderna is an ultra-frozen vaccine, and it has to be melted. When it was not in use in Acholi, we took it to western Uganda but couldn’t use it before 30 days.
The Health minister attributed the low vaccination rate to myths and misinterpretations about the results of vaccines.
Just to promote the vaccine storehouse, the authorities of Uganda has received cold chain equipment, which is worth rupees $8.3 million, to be dispatched for vaccine storage.
In December last year, Nigeria destroyed millions of expired doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The expired doses were damaged at the landfill in the capital of Nigeria, which comes in the capital of Abuja, the week after the country announced that they would no longer accept the vaccines with short shelf lives.
The country also encourages people under 50 years and above and those with underlying essentials to go for a booster shot.
However, Uganda’s overall COVID-19 caseload and death toll currently stood at 157,160 and 3,385, respectively.
