Will cocktails of COVID-19 vaccines work?

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Scientists sitting on the COVID-19 National Task Force are starting a study to establish the likely effects of mixing different vaccines amidst a rush to acquire as many vaccines as possible to vaccinate the 22 million targeted. Ugandans

So far, in addition to the AstraZeneca vaccines, the country has received a donation of Sinopharm vaccines from China and they expect Johnson and Johnson vaccines that have already been ordered through the African Union. Also, the US government has promised to deliver some Pfizer vaccines this month.

Dr Misaki Wayengera, a virologist based at Makerere University says that to date, there is no study that establishes the safety of mixing vaccines apart from that of AstraZeneca and the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine.

Giving an update on the COVID-19 response on Friday, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng said they expect 18 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine in October and nine million doses of the johnson and Johnson vaccine in September. She said the drugs will come in phases until the 22 million people are covered and then they embark on vaccinating children.

Dismissing earlier allegations that they had considered a deal to procure COVID-19 vaccines through an inexperienced private agency, Aceng said they reviewed 10 proposals of companies to help them source vaccines but none of them qualified and they resolved to settle for the COVAX facility and the African Union.

So far, however, the country has administered 1,267,951 doses where 934,813 people have only had their first dose. 333,138 have received two jabs.

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