U.S. Donates Over 1.6 Million Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine Doses to Uganda

Uganda has received 1,674,270 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from the United States, as part of a broader global initiative involving the distribution of 500 million Pfizer doses to 92 countries. This effort is in line with President Joe Biden’s commitment to enhance global access to safe and effective vaccines and strengthen the worldwide response to the pandemic.

Ugandan authorities have indicated that these Pfizer doses will primarily be used to vaccinate school-going children—a crucial step in preparing for the reopening of schools, which have largely remained closed since the previous year due to the pandemic.

Research has shown strong efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, with 100% effectiveness in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 12 to 15 and 91% effectiveness in older individuals against severe illness. Recently, Pfizer and its partner BioNTech also announced that their vaccine has proven safe for children aged 5 to 11. These younger children were administered a lower dose—10 micrograms—over two shots spaced 21 days apart. Early findings indicate the vaccine is 96% effective in preventing severe illness caused by the delta variant, which remains one of the most prevalent strains globally.

“Our goal in sharing these vaccines is to save lives and help bring the global pandemic to an end,” stated U.S. Ambassador Natalie E. Brown. “To curb the spread of the virus and prevent new variants, we must ensure rapid and widespread vaccination.”

To date, the United States has contributed around $111 million (about UGX 400 billion) in direct COVID-19 assistance to Uganda. This support has included financial and technical aid in areas such as health worker training, vaccine distribution logistics, data management, public communication, and the expansion of cold storage facilities—all critical components of Uganda’s national vaccination campaign.