Our Officials Don’t Hide from COVID-19 Vaccination, Ministry of Health Refutes Daily Monitor Report

Last updated Aug 19, 2021

By: Kyeyune Ali

The Ministry of Health attention has been drawn on the article published in Daily Monitor on Thursday titled “Health officials hide offer for COVID-19 jabs“

While holding a press conference at Uganda Media Centre-Kampala on Thursday, the Ministry through Dr. Henry Meebesa, Director General, Health Services says that, the article was misleading and had a lot of inacurate information.

The Ministry of Health has noted a false and misleading headline in today’s Daily Monitor, We would like to clarify that no private company has been engaged to supply COVID-19 vaccines to the country as alleged.

The committee was established to guide decisions with respect to direct sourcing of vaccines and the committee chaired by the Director General Health Services and assisted by the chair of the Vaccines Advisory committee and the role of the committee is to review Expression of interest to supply the Covid 19 Vaccines based on the profile of the company, The relationship with the manufacturer of Covid 19 Vaccines, The quantities that can be acquired through the agent, The modalities of payment, time frame and who to be paid and the unit per dose.” Dr. Mwebesa.

This implies that these companies were intermidiaries and it is important to note that no single company was given clearance to supply Vaccines as been alleged by the Said article.”

mean while the ministry of health received an offer of the availability of Vaccines from the COVAX facility. The Vaccine Acquisition committee reviewed the offer and recommended to ministry of health to pursue the offer.

The ministry of health has since signed acommitment letter with COVAX facility for a total of 18 million doses of Sinopharm Vaccine at acost of $5.5 per dose .

Under this arrangement Dr. Henry G. Mwebesa said” Permanent Secretary Dr. Diana Atwine is not a member of the above mentioned committee and was not part of any decisions made by the committee and never pleaded for any Private company as alleged.