Museveni Considering Vaccine Options Amid Uganda Roll Out

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni says he is still “looking at which of the vaccines” to go for, days after his government kicked off mass vaccination against Covid-19 using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

Presidents across the continent have been publicly receiving the jabs to counter scepticism about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.

In a televised address on Sunday night, President Museveni said he had not yet been vaccinated because he is “quite careful and well protected by the system”. He said the first lady, Janet Museveni, had also not been vaccinated.

“The reason I’ve not been vaccinated is because, first of all, I’m quite careful and well protected by the system here [at his official residence]. But secondly, I’m also looking at which of the vaccines should I go for. The Johnson & Johnson, the Chinese, the Russian,” the President said.

Health Minister Jane Aceng last month denied media reports that the president and his inner circle were secretly vaccinated before the country formally received vaccines.

She was reacting to a report by local newspaper the Daily Monitor and American newspaper the Wall Street Journal.

President Museveni on Sunday said the local newspaper must apologise “in big letters on the front page” or “he will go for them”.

Uganda plans to vaccinate 49.6% of its population in a phased manner.

It received 864,000 vaccine doses from the Covax scheme early this month and expects an additional supply of 2,688,000 doses in June.

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