Vaccinated Ugandans struggling to access online certificates

Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Many people who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 have failed to access their online COVID-19 vaccination certificates.

Following the forgery of COVID-19 vaccination cards and the use of fake vaccines, the Health Ministry launched an online portal through, which those vaccinated can check their status and get certificates.

The certificates are supposed to be available 14 days after one is vaccinated with their second dose. For one to access their certificate, they are supposed to visit the health ministry website, fill in their national identification number (NIN) and the last six digits of the telephone number registered at vaccination and submit the information. In less than three minutes, the online portal should be able to generate a certificate.

However, several people that URN has spoken to say they are not able to access their online certificates.

Jacqueline Asimwe, a 60-year-old woman says she was fully vaccinated in May, but to date, while other people she was vaccinated with at the same location and day have managed to get their certificates.

“I was vaccinated with my sister in law from Victoria Hospital. We got our second jabs on the second day but she has been able to access her certificate and I have not been. I tried checking in August but didn’t see anything. It was the same thing in September,” Jacqueline said.

Similarly, Paul Okwi, a resident of Mukono has suffered the same fate. Okwi, a doctor says he was one of the first persons to get vaccinated in March at the Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital on the day vaccination was launched countrywide but has not yet gotten his certificate.

“I got my first jab at Mulago and my second in Mukono because the health ministry told us that it does not matter where you get the jabs from but now I cannot get my certificate. When I check on the website, the system has an error,” Okwi says.

Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the Ministry of Health Senior Spokesperson says they are aware of the problem and are working towards addressing it. According to Ainebyoona, delays in getting vaccination cards are due to poor or no data entry.

Ainebyoona adds that as the health ministry is working towards addressing the problem, Ugandans who need certificates for urgent purposes like travel can call the ministry helpline, provide details of their vaccination cards and a certificate will be generated for them.

The online certificate portal was developed by HISP Uganda, a non-profit organization registered in Uganda and with the US Federal government. The company are the developers of the District Health Information Software (DHIS2) that is used to carry out disease surveillance nationwide. All URN’s attempts to get in touch with the company were futile.

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