Hundreds of people are lining up at Bulange-Mengo, where a mass COVID-19 vaccination exercise is being held, in a drive to increase the uptake of vaccines.

Queues started building up from the main gate of Bulange, the seat of the Buganda Kingdom, where several mobile vaccination statutes have been stationed, as early as 7 a.m and increasingly became longer snaking through Bulange way and part of Kabaka Anjagala Road.

The site has various types of vaccines, among them, Sinovac, which has been reserved for teachers who are getting their second jab, AstraZeneca and Pfizer. Uganda has in recent months received a cocktail of vaccines that are being used across the country to beat the target of at least 4.8 million people to pave way for the reopening of the economy.

It is hoped that as more and more people are vaccinated,  families and communities will be able to gradually return to a more normal routine after close to two years of lockdowns, restricted movement and school closures. President Yoweri Museveni announced earlier that the economy will be opened in January 2022.

The two-day campaign at Bulange was championed by the Buganda Kingdom through a partnership with Kampala Capital City Authority, Uganda Breweries, Safe Boda and the Ministry of Health.

Buganda premier Charles Peter Mayiga says that it’s premised on the fact that vaccination remains the strongest response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the most sustainable way of safeguarding the health and economic wellbeing of the people.

The drive is targeting 7000 people on each of the days, according to Dr Daniel Kyabayinze, the National Coordinator for Vaccination in the Ministry of Health.

Noeline Nantume, a retired teacher and resident of Kiteezi, welcomed the drive saying that it will enable to drive the numbers of vaccinated people up and increase chances of reopening the economy.

Miriam Tumwebaze Gyagenda, a Nursing Officer at Mengo Hospital observes a need for increased sensitization to enable people to know the importance of the COVID-19 jab, especially at a time when countries are reporting another wave of the virus.

But while many are seeking the vaccine, they have ignored the social distancing protocols which were highlighted as one of the measures to keep coronavirus at bay.