Epidemics Tracker

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Health officials from the UN and the European Union will meet this week on the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after several more countries suspended its use, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.  WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists that WHO’s …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Ministry of Health will not halt the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying no severe effects have been reported.  This follows the suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine in several countries including the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on grounds that some of the people …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | As the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Examinations enter their third week, the body charged with organizing them has hailed several pregnant candidates for overcoming the odds to write their O levels. The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) in a statement today on social media, …

Geneva, Switzerland | THE INDEPEDNENT | The World Health Organization, the vaccines alliance GAVI and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations CEPI have launched one of the most ambitious inoculation delivery plan in history, dubbed COVAX. The plan is to ensure the poorer countries in the world are all able to receive …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni says he is still undecided on which, of the COVID-19 vaccines, he will use to protect himself against coronavirus. He disclosed this in a nationwide televised address from State House on Sunday evening. Museveni, who is 75 years of age, …

British Airways (BA) will introduce digital global vaccine passports in time for the planned reopening of international travel from 17 May London, UK | Xinhua | British Airways (BA) will introduce digital vaccine passports in time for the return of international travel in May, when Britons are allowed to travel for …

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | THE INDEPENDENT | Tanzania’s Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan will tour the north-east Tanzanian districts of Korogwe and Pangani Monday and Tuesday, her first official engagement since speculation of the whereabouts of President John Magufuli started early this week. All eyes will be on her security detail at …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | An audit report by the Auditor General John Muwanga has qualified the accounts of the Ministry of Health to several irregularities in expenditure of money mainly meant for the Covid-19 pandemic response. A qualified opinion means a statement issued by an auditor accompanying an entity’s …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. administration has ordered “almost enough COVID-19 vaccine to fully inoculate every American adult twice,” and its hoarding could fuel a vaccine gap worldwide, Bloomberg has reported. U.S. President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that his administration will double the order of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 …

Kampala, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT  |  The World Health Organisation has given clearance to the vaccine developed by Janssen (Johnson & Johnson), for emergency use in all countries and for the international UN-partnered effort to roll-out vaccines equitably across the world, COVAX. The vaccine from Janssen is the first to be listed …