Suspects, including a doctor are on the run after experts revealed that they duped several people and companies and injected them with water instead of Covid-19 vaccines between May 15 and June 17.
The director of State House Health Monitoring Unit Dr Warren Naamara disclosed the news in a statement.
According to Naamara, the tricksters administered the alleged fake Covid-19 vaccine to at least 800 people and undisclosed number of clients from several companies in Kampala Metropolitan area.
Naamara added that the fraudsters targeted people looking to pay for immunisation, including corporate employees, at a time when vaccines were in short supply. However, when questions were raised on the authenticity of the vaccine, experts collected the samples taken from the alleged fake Covid-19 vaccine.
The samples were sent to the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory in Wandegeya and National Drug Authority (NDA) for analysis.
The NDA forwarded the suspected fake Covid-19 sample to Serum Institute of India manufacturers of Vaccines & immuno-biologicals for comparison with genuine vaccines and where it was confirmed that the batch in question was never supplied in Uganda.
The institute added that the samples were more of water than anything else from the chemical contents based on the analysis and the product label details were falsified, Daily Monitor reported.
Dr Naamara said the population that received the fake jabs should understand that they are not poisoned and not in danger. He asked all people who were vaccinated at a fee, especially within the premises of work by the suspect to get a free Covid-19 jab at the Ministry of Health approved vaccination centres.
The State House also revealed that detectives arrested two nurses from Kampala on accusations of vaccinating people using the fake vaccine and they were remanded to Kitalya Prison.
Uganda has overall recorded 91,162 infections and a total of 2,425 recorded deaths, according to the health ministry’s latest tally Wednesday.
