Uganda will impose the equivalent of up to R17,400 fine or six months jail on people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19, in terms of an amendment to a public health law currently being reviewed in Parliament.
According to an Al Jazeera report, Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told lawmakers that the amendment is important to repeal the obsolete provisions, revise the fines for offences committed, and protect citizens. “The Bill has a section on vaccination and immunisation as a public health measure to protect the vulnerable,” she said. “When we introduce new vaccines, we need to get a mass of people so we create mass immunity. It is important that whoever is supposed to be vaccinated, is vaccinated.”
Only about 16m jabs have been administered in Uganda in a population of 45m. This has led to the Parliament’s Health Committee scrutinising the Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2021, which seeks to make coronavirus vaccination mandatory. The new law proposes a fine of 4m Ugandan shillings (R17,400) for those who fail to get vaccinated, or (receive) a jail term of six months. The Parliament statement did not say when the proposed law was likely to be brought before its members for approval.
Al Jazeera article – New Uganda law to impose fines on those who refuse COVID vaccine (Open access)
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