Over 200 health workers shun Covid-19 vaccination in Bududa

Bududa, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | More than 200 health workers in Bududa district have shunned the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination. The district received 3,520 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine last week to vaccinate health workers, police officers, teachers, persons aged above 50 and those with underlying medical conditions.

The target was to vaccinate 300 health workers from the vaccination centres at Bulucheke, Bushika, Bukibokolo and Bukalasi health centre III’s. But according to Dr Imelda Tumuhairwe, the Bududa district health officer they were able to vaccinate only 145 health workers by close of business on Saturday.

She said however that she was optimistic that more health workers would still be expected to come for the vaccine before the start of the vaccination of teachers on Monday. But health workers who preferred anonymity told URN that they are still skeptical about the safety of the vaccine and that they were waiting for the response from those who took the jabs first.

The fears followed reports that several countries have banned the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, as a precaution following reports that cases of severe coagulation disorder and blood clotting had been recorded among people who have received the jab. One of the cases of severe blood clots was related to a death in Denmark.

But the European Medicines Agency has stated that its review of the complaints indicated that the benefits of the vaccine in combating the threat of COVID-19, continue to outweigh the risk of side effects. It added that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots in those who receive it, and that there is no evidence of a problem related to specific batches of the vaccine or to particular manufacturing sites.

However, the report adds that the vaccine may be associated with very rare cases of blood clots associated with thrombocytopenia, i.e. low levels of blood platelets with or without bleeding, including rare cases of clots in the vessels draining blood from the brain.

In a statement, AstraZeneca also said that there was no evidence to show that its COVID-19 vaccine led to an increased risk of blood clots in any defined age group, gender, batch, or in any particular country. There has also been no evidence of increased bleeding in the more than 60,000 participants who enrolled in AstraZeneca’s trials, it added.

George William Wopuwa, the Bududa Resident District Commissioner who is also the chairman COVID-19 the task force asked the public not to rely on people’s propaganda but take on the vaccine for their own safety. He said he had personally taken the jab and was still feeling strong with no life-threatening side effects at all.

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