On the occasion of the USA donated COVID-19 vaccines to Uganda under the COVAX Facility

As a key COVAX Facility partner, UNICEF Uganda appreciates the nearly 647.080 vaccines dose-sharing by the USA Government. This generous donation by the United States Government follows previous contributions made to COVAX to vaccinate the world and end the pandemic in 2022.

These vaccines are the first donation directly from United States Government to Uganda, via the COVAX and transported by UNICEF. The arrival of this shipment in Uganda is very timely as the demand for vaccination is currently exceeding the available supply of vaccines. This is the first time that Moderna vaccines have been received in Uganda and widens the portfolio of COVID-19 vaccines available for the national vaccination rollout.

Vaccines will help us end this pandemic, but only if there’s fair access to all countries, regardless of income level. It is not right that lower income countries must still wait months for access to COVID-19 vaccine doses on the scale required to save lives and protect healthcare workers and priority groups. Inequities will extend the severity of the pandemic most acutely felt by women and children, as well as the dire economic impact affecting all our lives. 

We need to work together to end the pandemic; only a truly global response can protect health services and the people children rely on. At UNICEF we are therefore grateful that the USA Government, along with several other countries, is providing the much-needed support. We urge other governments for urgent action to immediately begin sharing a portion of their vaccine supply with middle- and low-income countries to ensure equitable and fast access to COVID-19 vaccines.

We are very grateful to the US Government for this generous donation of Moderna vaccines. This will greatly support the ongoing rollout of Uganda’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and help us reach the set target by MoH by December 2021. I would like to emphasize that all WHO and Government of Uganda approved vaccines, including the AstraZeneca, Sinovax and Moderna vaccines, are safe and effective. Members of the public will receive available vaccines at the health centre designated by the Ministry of Health. 

The roll out of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign is being led by the Ministry of Health (MoH), with support from WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and other partners. As well as procuring and transporting COVID-19 vaccines, UNICEF is supporting MoH in the distribution of the vaccines, procuring, deploying and managing the vaccines’ cold chain equipment. UNICEF and WHO are also supporting MoH with planning, technical support, capacity building, risk communication and community engagement.

Let us not forget that the COVID-19 crisis is a child rights crisis. Poverty is rising, inequality is growing, and the pandemic has upended the essential services that secure the health, education and protection of children and young people. The longer the pandemic goes on, the more intense the impact on women and children 

The faster we can help combat the pandemic, the faster Uganda can recover, leading to schools re-opening and health clinics functioning, while ensuring that serious disruptions to the lives of children end.

COVID-19 vaccines alone are not a silver bullet to end the pandemic. Diagnostics and treatments are also essential to find the virus and save lives. Continuing with physical distancing, wearing masks, and handwashing remains essential to protect children, families and communities and control COVID-19.

This generous donation of Moderna vaccines from the US Government is a welcome boost to Uganda’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination campaign. All vaccines available through COVAX are safe and effective and I would urge all Ugandans – especially the health workers and teachers to get vaccinated as soon as advised to do so by the Ministry of Health. Once again, UNICEF is delighted to offer our full support in getting these vital COVID-19 vaccines to Uganda. We urge the international community to continue supporting Uganda to further increase the availability of vaccines. 
Globally No one is safe until everyone is safe. 

Together we can and will set the course towards recovery, I thank you.