Ugandan authorities have approved the purchase of 18 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, said a government statement issued on Tuesday.

Uganda Media Centre in a statement said cabinet ministers in a meeting on Monday approved the purchase of the vaccine that will be used to vaccinate the elderly.

Others to be vaccinated are the people with underlying health issues, health workers, and security personnel among other essential social service providers.

The statement said a total of 9 million people would receive the vaccine in two doses separated by 28 days.

A tentative allocation of more than 3.5 million doses are expected by the end of this month or early next month.

The balance is expected on a quarterly basis, said the statement.

It said there was an emerging opportunity of acquiring vaccines through the AU mechanism coordinated by the African Vaccines Delivery Alliance.

Through this initiative, an initial 270 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the continent have been secured.

There is growing interest from the private sector to participate in the COVID-19 vaccination efforts.

“The interest of the private sector ranges from financing for vaccines targeting their staff and host communities on one hand to supporting the general service delivery components,” the statement said.

It said the ministry of health has developed a draft concept note to guide the participation of the private sector, detailing the regulatory process and controls to ensure harmonious implementation of the vaccination activities in the country. 

(Xinhua/NAN)