• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
    • Big Brother Naija Dairy
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
    • Big Brother Naija Dairy
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

DR IAN CLARKE: Mass vaccination must be Uganda’s priority

watchdog by watchdog
12 months ago
in Conversations with, Op-Ed
8 0
Dr Ian Clarke

Dr Ian Clarke

ShareTweetSendShare

It is always important that we get evidence and facts based on science in order that we make the right decisions, and not base our decisions on misinformation or distortion of the facts. There is a saying ‘when America sneezes, the world catches a cold’. In terms of information arising from America and the west, by the time it reaches Africa it has usually been amplified, so Africa doesn’t just catch a cold, it gets Pneumonia.

Let me give two examples where this has happened in the medical sector: the family planning pill has been widely used by western countries for at least 60 years, but during this time studies found that those taking the pill had a higher chance of developing blood clots. For this reason the pill was then modified to contain very small amounts of hormone so that the risk of clots is very low. However, in Africa the contraceptive pill is still infrequently used because of the perceived risk of blood clots (even though this is on the basis of out of date information).

Several months ago the Europeans paused the roll out of the AstraZenica vaccine for a week because there were reports of a small number of people having developed blood clots. The result of this and many other negative posts on social media was that many Ugandans became fearful of taking the AstraZenica vaccine. While in Britain and Europe they then continued the use of AstraZenica the widespread fear by Ugandans resulted in many health-workers refusing to be vaccinated. By the time of second surge, the vaccine had been available for three months, but many health-workers were still not vaccinated, and some died as a result.

Even after we were hit by the second surge some people have continued scaremongering, claiming that those who were vaccinated are more likely to die of Covid. The facts are as follows: full vaccination with AstraZenica only gives 60% protection from Covid infection, but gives 90% protection against severe disease requiring hospitalization. Some of those who had only one vaccine (and were thus only 30% protected) got Covid and some died. Even some people who had two vaccines developed Covid because their second dose had not had time to cause full immunity. However, the vast majority of those who died were not vaccinated. The sad fact is that some Ugandans will lose their lives because they believe inaccurate information about vaccination.

Another factor, which contributes to misleading information, is that there is so little trust in government that negative claims easily gain traction. Both government and the public are to blame for this state of affairs. One could ask why is the trust in government so low (that is another article), but also why do relatively responsible people engage in spreading unsubstantiated rumours about government. I have nothing to gain by defending government but I will not engage in spreading unproven allegations fed by deliberate disinformation – to the point where nothing government says is trusted. This lack of trust then makes people make wrong decisions with disastrous personal consequences.

This lack of trust and dis-information also means that we are not working together to defeat the real enemy, which is Covid. Today we should have a razor-sharp focus on getting vaccines into Uganda in order that we reach herd immunity. Lockdowns have negative consequences: our children have been out of school for more than a year, we now have feral children who have forgotten whatever they had learned. What are we doing to a future generation of Ugandans?

While we are locking down, other countries are opening up, because they have vaccinated over 50% of their population while we have vaccinated one percent. Lockdown works by lowering transmission through separating us – by making us stay at home, or away from school, but vaccination protects us, so that we can get on with our lives. Getting large quantities of vaccines into the country and then getting them into people’s arms must be the national priority. This is war against this virus, so we should be on a war footing in which we all join together to defeat a common enemy. But I sometimes think that instead of being on a war footing we are just pussy-footing.


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com

Share2Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Ronald Wandera
Conversations with

RONALD WANDERA: After the harvest, securing the gains of the farmer and the country

5th July 2022 at 09:03
Abbey kibirige Semuwemba
Op-Ed

ABBEY KIBIRIGE SEMUWEMBA: Democracy In Developing Countries Is Overrated

5th July 2022 at 08:19
The bamboo walkways which are good for air filtering
Op-Ed

Bunyaruguru Dispatch: Destinations;Forest bathing is the new trend for Kampala City dwellers

5th July 2022 at 07:24
Next Post

MP Sebamala gives ugx10 Million back in support of vulnerable constituents

Follow us on Facebook

Trending Posts

  • Public Service Minister Muruuli Mukasa

    LATEST LIST: New salary structure for all Ugandan civil servants starting July 2021

    843 shares
    Share 337 Tweet 211
  • PROFILE: Who is Sylvia Wairimu Mulinge, the new MTN Uganda CEO replacing Wim Vanhelleputte? 

    11 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Grief as Nile High School Mukono founder dies in Masaka Road accident

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Segregation is eating up Museveni’s government- Ex-Minister Nadduli

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • MK Publishers Proprietor Majwega dies from USA where he had gone to attend daughter’s graduation ceremony

    66 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 17

Follow us on Twitter

Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Plot 23, Yusuf Lule Road
PO Box 7661 Kampala, Uganda
Office Line: +256 777 286 815
Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us on Facebook

© 2022 Watchdog Uganda

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • Finance
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Op-Ed
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
    • Showbiz
    • Big Brother Naija Dairy
  • People
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Stars
    • Politicians
  • Special Report
    • Education
  • Travel
  • Video
  • Luganda

© 2022 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Posting....