“Limit punishment on anti-vaxxers in Health Bill’’

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As Parliament processes the Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2021, the ECASA Group of Consultants Ltd wants the proposal for punitive measures for persons who have not been vaccinated, to be reconsidered.

Section 47(1) of the bill mandates a local government council to require persons in the local government to be vaccinated or revaccinated.

The local government is also mandated to require parents or guardians of any child, to have the child vaccinated or revaccinated.

The punitive measures are provided for in part 2 of the section.

It reads that: “A person who fails or neglects to comply with a requirement made under this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding two hundred currency points or to imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.”

ECASA has proposed that the bill should consider lighter penalties like community service or confinement within the defaulter’s premises until they are vaccinated.

“Heavy penalties are likely to send people underground which will have a negative impact on immunisation efforts in the country,” said ECASA Secretary Dr John Mugisa.

He said this while presenting the group’s views to the Parliamentary health committee on Thursday, 10 March 2022, which is scrutinising the Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Dr Mugisa also said that the bill should have clauses on reporting to the Ministry responsible on hazardous material, chemical and radiation events as well as prevention of exposure to such material.

“The bill focuses on infectious and communicable diseases yet adverse health events due to non-communicable diseases are increasingly gaining prominence. They include toxic environmental exposures like oil spillage, asbestos poisoning or fluorosis,” said Dr Mugisa.

He recommended that the bill should be harmonised with other existing laws on chemical prohibition and radiation control.

These include the Toxic Chemicals Prohibition Control Act, 2016, the Atomic Energy Act No.24, 2008 and the National Environment Act, 2019.

Doctors from the Medics for Faith Association led by Dr Clara Wekesa reiterated the need to limit punishment of Ugandans who have not adhered to vaccination guidelines, saying fines could play against the spirit of public health.

“The bill should be more inclusive of persons that may not have access to vaccination and not necessarily that they failed to adhere to guidelines. In instituting fines, we hinder cooperation by the citizenry,” said Dr Wekesa.

She added that certain demographic groups in the country have acquired natural immunity against COVID-19 after healing from the disease, and as such their vaccination does not confer added benefit to them.

Committee member, Elisa Rutahigwa, Rukungiri Municipality MP emphasised the need to allow the government to ensure that its population is vaccinated, and said promoting the idea of natural immunity could mislead the population.

“You achieve immunity by getting into contact with an infection and if it is lethal, you will die. Those who get natural immunity are those who survive,” observed Dr Rutahigwa.

“We know there are side effects of COVID-19 vaccination and we have seen cases. But why are people against being vaccinated yet we have also seen so many deaths? We must come on board with scientific evidence to advise and encourage our people,” said Margaret Makhoha, Namayingo district MP.

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SOURCE: UGANDA PARLIAMENT MEDIA