MOH to reign in on health facilities selling vaccines

Kampla, Uganda |THE INDEPENDENT | The Health Ministry plans to reign in on all health facilities accused of selling vaccines that are distributed for free immunisation.

The Primary Health Care Minister, Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu announced this on Wednesday during the 8th health sector barometer meeting organized by Uganda Medical Association.

Dr. Bernard Opar, the Program Manager Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization-UNEPI, says the commercialisation of vaccines has led to competition among private health service providers, which in turn has led to reports of fake drugs.

He says following the scandal about the hepatitis B vaccine, the Ministry has stopped all private facilities from offering hepatitis B vaccination. He says the Ministry is in the process of screening and accrediting private facilities to conduct Hepatitis B vaccination.

According to the Health Ministry, 3.5 million people are living with Hepatitis B whose prevalence rate stands at 10 percent. UMA says members of the public have lost confidence in the country’s health system due to reports of fake hepatitis B vaccines on the market. .

Professor Sarah Kiguli, the head of department of Pediatrics and Child Health Makerere University College of Health Science, advised all people who suspect that they may have gotten the fake vaccine to go back and get genuine vaccines from accredited facilities.

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