COVID-19 Updates

Brazzaville, Congo | Xinhua | Vaccination rates in Africa remain the lowest in the world, as the continent is “racing towards” the target of vaccinating 70 percent of its population, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday. One year since the COVAX Facility delivered the first COVID-19 vaccines to Africa, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Scientists working on a Covid-19 vaccine in Uganda have told legislators on the Presidential Affairs Committee that trials will commence in early March 2022. Dr Sheila Balinda, a molecular virologist at Uganda Virus Research Institute said they have developed a vaccine using Covid-19 strains that were …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | School administrators have allayed fears that the high number of reported cases of flu and cough among learners might be related to COVID-19. This follows the high cases of persistent flu and cough registered among learners, especially in nursery and primary schools. Our reporters visited several …

More time between the first two doses of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines may reduce the risk of myocarditis Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, expanding the recommended time between the initial two vaccine doses to eight …

How drug industry is undermining WHO plans | TIMOTHY HUZAR | Since June 2021, the WHO has been coordinating a messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa. The hub is important because it will increase the availability of mRNA vaccines, including those for COVID-19, in Africa, …

Cairo, Egypt | Xinhua | The World Health Organization (WHO)’s approval to grant six African countries the technology to manufacture mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccines would boost international efforts to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, Egyptian experts and officials said. On Friday, WHO announced that Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and …

Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu University is yet to receive funding from government to support the clinical trials for Covilyce-1, a supportive herbal treatment for COVID-19. This comes nearly eight months after President Yoweri Museveni authorized the release of Shillings 3.7 billion to support the clinical trials for Covilyce-1. …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has defended the amendment to the Public Health Act saying that it is important to revise the penalties in the law and also consider emerging diseases like COVID-19, Ebola and others. Dr. Aceng appeared before Parliament’s Committee …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ugandan parliament need to enact a comprehensive law on pandemics to guide on emergency accountability and reporting mechanisms to prevent haphazard expenditure. Christine Byiringiro, program manager at Uganda Debt Network said the loopholes manifested during the COVID-19 procurement related process such as full payment for …

London, UK | Xinhua | Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has tested positive for COVID-19, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Sunday. The queen is experiencing mild cold-like symptoms but expects to continue light duties at Windsor over the coming week, the palace said. “She will continue to receive medical attention and will …