Masaka District records low uptake of COVID-19 Vaccine

Authorities at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital are concerned about the low turn-up of health workers and teachers in the ongoing Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) vaccination exercise.

Dr Nathan Onyach, the Director- Masaka Regional Referral Hospital says that very few personnel have endorsed the vaccination exercise. Onyach explains that they have vaccinated only 288 health workers and 14 teachers over a two-week period since March 11, 2021. The facility received over 4,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the Front line health workers.

Onyach explains that a person who takes the jab has some protection in case they get COVID compared to those who have not.  

According to Onyach, the majority of people fear that the vaccine will have a negative effect on their health yet it has been used in several countries with good results.  

Barbara Kaitesi, one of the health workers giving the jabs, attributed the low turn-up to the propaganda that’s circulated on social media discouraging people from taking the vaccine.   She adds that they have not received any deaths resulting from the vaccine which makes the vaccine safe.  

Recently, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the jab after 13 countries suspended the use of the vaccine over fears of a link to blood clots. However, it was found that the jab was not associated with a higher risk of clots.

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