Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund have indicated that Vaccination has reduced COVID-19 deaths in Uganda by 55% according to the survey carried out.
According to their survey, there has not been any death in Uganda for COVID-19 among fully vaccinated persons whereas vaccination in general reduced Covid deaths by 55%.
The ministry of health indicates that Uganda has lost 3145 persons to COVID-19 where the majority came in the third wave of the virus.
According to the survey conducted between May,1 and July 31, 2021 on vaccination status and treatment outcomes of patients admitted two Covid-19 treatment units at Namboole and Mulago hospital, a total of 1462 patients were sampled.
According to the findings of the study, majority (21.9%) of the patients were aged 40-49 years and 15% were aged more than 70 years and at admission, the commonest symptoms included cough and shortness of breath whereas 51.8% required oxygen therapy.
“95 of the 1462 patients (6.5%) had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Of the 95,12 had received two doses (fully vaccinated) 14 days before the onset of symptoms Vaccinated patients were 55% more protected from dying during hospitalization.
According to the survey report, there was no death among fully vaccinated patients.
Meanwhile, the Government is set today avail two types of vaccines, Pfizer and Astrazeneca, both Pfizer and Astrazenaca are double-shot vaccines and at the initial approval by separate bodies, Pfizer had an efficacy of 95 percent, which was higher than Astrazeneca’s 67 percent in preventing COVID-19.
A study on the effectiveness of the two vaccines, which was published in the scientific journal Nature, last month, 90 days after the jab, says protection from Pfizer drops 17 percent while that from Astrazeneca drops by 8 percent.
According to the report, Pfizer effectiveness fell to 90 percent, 85 percent and 78 percent after 30, 60 and 90 days, respectively. The vaccine developed by Oxford and the pharmaceutical company Astrazeneca in Cambridge, UK, was 69 percent effective against a high viral load 14 days after the second dose, falling to 61 percent by 90 days,” the report reads in part.
UK also indicated that mixing Astrazeneca with Pfizer produces better protection.
The Ministry of Health permanent secretary, Dr Diana Atwine in a statement last Friday, dictated who will go for Pfizer or AstraZeneca.
The vaccination with Pfizer will happen in Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono while vaccination using AstraZeneca and Moderna will be countrywide.
According to Atwine, all persons starting the vaccination will receive Pfizer vaccine as their first dose and will after one month (4 weeks) receive their second dose of Pfizer. Whereas those who started with Astrazeneca and are due for second dose after 2 or 3 months will be provided Astrazeneca in the same locations.
She also added that persons who started vaccination with Sinovac and are due for the second dose would be informed shortly on the date to turn up.