The State House Health Monitoring unit has confirmed that indeed over 800 Ugandans in Kampala received counterfeit AstraZeneca vaccine doses last month. The confirmation follows analysis of the bottle contents by the government analytical laboratories, the National Drug Authority and the disowning of the batch numbers by the Serum Institute of India – makers of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Last month, the State House Health Monitoring Unit busted a ring of fraudsters who had injected over 800 Ugandans with suspected counterfeit AstraZeneca Covid 19 vaccines. The racket had charged each of the recipients for the doses.
Dr. Warren Namara the Executive Director of the State House Monitoring Unit told the media in Kampala that samples analyzed at the government analytical laboratory and the National Drug Authority confirmed that indeed the chemical used in the jab was not a vaccine – and it was not poison either.
The Serum Institute of India – which manufactures the AstraZeneca vaccine administered in Uganda, confirmed the batch numbers on the samples were also counterfeited. Francis Baguma the leader of the racket is still on the run.
Most of the duped Ugandans worked for corporate companies in Kampala – mostly Nakawa Urban Council, with at least 22 companies identified to have fallen prey to the scammers. The Unit has kept the list confidential as investigations continue. Dr. Namara urged victims to seek the official doses provided by the Ministry of Health.
Investigations also found that the stamp belonging to Kiswa Health Center IV used in the scam was counterfeited.
Namara challenged the public to seek covid 19 vaccination from accredited facilities.
