Authorities at Masaka regional referral hospital are concerned about the low turn-up of health workers and teachers in the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination exercise.

Dr Nathan Onyach, the director Masaka hospital says that very few personnel have embraced the vaccination exercise. Onyach explains that they have vaccinated only 288 health workers and 14 teachers over a two-week period since March 11. The facility received 4,600 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine for the frontline workers in the district.

Onyach explains that a person who takes the jab has some protection against adverse effects in case they get COVID-19 compared to those who have not been vaccinated.

Onyach says the false fears about the vaccine are unwarranted because the vaccines have been used in other countries with good results and no major side effects recorded.

Barbara Kaitesi, one of the health workers giving the jabs, attributed the low turn-up to the propaganda being circulated on social media discouraging people from taking the vaccine. She adds that they have not received any deaths resulting from the vaccination which makes the vaccine safe.

Recently, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the jab after 13 countries suspended the use of the vaccine over fears of blood clotting. However, it was found that the jab was not associated with a higher risk of clots.