Representing Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services, Dr. Henry Kyobe Bosa, Ebola Incident Commander, on Wednesday received a donation of 25,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine from American multinational pharmaceutical corporation Johnson & Johnson.
Dr. Kyobe emphasized that this significant consignment stems from the Ministry’s proactive engagement with global partners since May 2022, well before the last Ebola outbreak. The aim is to bolster preparedness measures to effectively manage any future outbreaks.
“While we cannot completely prevent spillovers of the virus, our focus is on mitigating its impact through these vaccines,” explained Dr. Kyobe.
Although Uganda experienced an Ebola outbreak in Mubende district in September 2022, there is currently no outbreak in the country. However, the Ministry plans to conduct reactive preventive vaccination primarily in districts bordering the west.
“The primary targets for vaccination will be health workers and frontline personnel in the 20 identified districts,” highlighted Dr. Kyobe.
Expressing gratitude to stakeholders involved in vaccine procurement, Dr. Kyobe assured that a comprehensive immunization program will soon be unveiled.
Dr. Kambugu Andrew, Executive Director of the Infectious Disease Institute at Makerere University, underscored their commitment to ensuring the appropriate deployment of the vaccine.
“As implementing partners, we will leverage our experience to ensure the effective distribution of the vaccine,” Dr. Kambugu Andrew affirmed.
Dr. Ritah Atugonza, Deputy Programs Director at UNEPI, stressed the importance of vaccines in global health and expressed appreciation for the donated doses.
Paul Okware from the National Medical Stores (NMS) assured the public of the vaccine’s safety and proper storage.
“We are confident in the safety of the vaccine, and NMS will ensure its proper storage and distribution across the country,” noted Paul Okware.
The Ebola vaccine requires two doses administered eight weeks apart.