Ugandan MPs express fear over Covid vaccines

November 2021: A nurse injects a Kyambogo University student with Covid vaccine at a vaccination point in Kampala. Photo by Tonny Abet

MPs express fear over Covid vaccines

BY TONNY ABET

The Members of Parliament have said a significant number of Ugandans are worried about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines even as the government forces people to take the jab to access key offices.

Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament (LOP), said he got several complaints that the vaccines cause impotence.

“There are concerns in some areas where the uptake [of Covid-19 vaccine] is very low, that this vaccine causes impotence in men and therefore men are scared of these vaccines and is weary of the future,” he said yesterday in Parliament.

He was reacting to the presentation by Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Health Minister on the state of Covid-19 response.

But Dr Aceng in response to Mr Mpuuga, said there is no evidence that the vaccines cause impotence. “Research has not documented that [impotence] issue as one of the side effects [of the Covid-19 vaccines]” she said.

Ms Betty Aol Ocan, the former LOP said some two teachers in Gulu sub-region have also died after the vaccination and that this is worsening the hesitancy.

But Dr Aceng said there is no guarantee that someone may not contract the virus after taking the jab. she said those who have received two jabs are better protected.

The government has so far administered 3.2 million doses out of 8.9million doses it acquired through donation and direct procurement. The government is racing to vaccinate 7 million people to fully reopen the economy next year.

At the plenary, Ms Cecilia Ogwal, the Dokolo District woman MP asked the government to increase salary of health workers who are doing vaccination. She said the current Shs5000 they get per day is an insult to someone who is responsible.

Dr Aceng said in response that they had put the amount at that because they expected the health workers to do vaccination in hospital setting. She said they are also constrained by finance because of limited allocation from the government for Covid-19 vaccination.

The Minister, however, said they have got some support from development partners to increase the amount given to health workers doing outreaches to Shs28,000 per day.

Dr Aceng said the government has so far spent about Shs619b on vaccine procurement and distribution but that they need Shs1.4 trillion for the entire vaccination exercise to reach the target of 22 million people. 

Keywords: Covid, vaccine, Uganda, Kampala, men, side effects, erectile dysfunction, blood clots