With only 6.9 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered out of the 17 million doses available, and the new Omnicron variant spreading and growing at lightning speed and feared to be entering the country at any point from now, the health minister was yesterday bombarded with questions fom MPs on how prepared the ministry is in case the country is hit by the Omnicron variant.
In her response, the minister told the August house that the govenment plans on tabling a bill that makes the Covid-19 vaccination mandatory to every eligible Ugandans, as this will be the only way of making Ugandans vaccinate.
“Next week, I will be laying on table amendments to the Public Health Act that will cater to a number of issues, including mandatory vaccination and also people who do not put on masks and what we can do to handle them,” she said.
While there's a penalty to an individual who spreads deadly diseases intentionally, there's no law as yet that makes vaccination for such diseases a Must and the minister's submssion caused an uproar among the members present for the plenary.
Kira Municipality MP Hon. Ssemujju Nganda said the government has failed terribly at addressing the partinent issues surrounding the vaccines and also that the sensitization has not been done to maximum. "If one lady can mobilise the whole of Acholi against the vaccine and she succeeds, ... [how can] the whole government with the President and the ministers not mobilise the masses to go for vaccination?” He asked
Sheema Municipality MP, Hon. Dickson Kateshumbwa however expressed concern about the expiring of the many vaccines available, given the poor turn up by the public to get vaccinated. The country is expecting to recieve another 15million doses before the year ends.
With the country waiting for the president to fully openning the economy come JAnuary, regardless of whether people are vaccinated or not, and the Omnicron variant also growing with strength every day that goes by, is mandatory vaccination the best viable solution?
