On November 03, 2020, the Uganda National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (UNITAG) received a request from the Ministry of Health (MoH) to guide the selection of COVID-19 vaccine (s) for Uganda in the event that the World Health Organization (WHO) approves more than one vaccine. UNITAG has since recommended the use of six (6) approved vaccines, including; the two mRNA vaccines (Moderna, mRNA-1273 and Pfizer/ BioNTech – BNT162b2), two Non-Replicating Viral Vector vaccines (Janssen’s Johson and Johnson -Ad26.COV2.S, Oxford/ AstraZeneca AZD1222) and two Inactivated vaccines ( Sinopharm -Beijing – BBIBP-CorV-Vero Cells and Sinovac -CoronaVac).
On November 03, 2021, WHO issued an emergency use listing (EUL) for COVAXIN®, an inactivated vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech, expanding the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, the most effective medical tools there is to end the pandemic. Following this approval and WHO’s guidance that the inactivated vaccine can be used globally since it meets the standards for protection against COVID-19 and its benefit far outweighs risks, UNITAG COVAX Working Group convened to determine whether the new COVID-19 vaccine type should be introduced and recommended for use in Uganda. Through interdisciplinary dialogue, the Committee reviewed data from the current COVID-19 vaccine logistical supply in Uganda from the Ministry of Health to inform the groups' conclusions and recommendations.
- Recommendation
- Africa
- Uganda
- COVID-19
