Legislators have deleted a mandatory vaccination clause in the passed Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Clause 47 (2) imposes a fine of Shs1 million or imprisonment not exceeding three months for those who fail or neglect to comply with provisions on vaccination and revaccination.
The House processed the bill on Tuesday, 19 July 2022 in a sitting chaired by the Speaker, Anita Among.
The Bill proposed vaccination or revaccination is related to any disease in any authority, or local government where it is necessary to conduct vaccination or revaccination for all the residents or specified groups.
The Chairperson of the Committee on Health, Dr. Charles Ayume who presented the report on the bill recommended that the government should provide all the necessary information and education about any disease and the vaccine.
"Create awareness about the importance of vaccination in order to promote voluntary health-seeking behavior like vaccination,” he said.
Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng failed to convince MPs that the clause did not imply mandatory vaccination.
“You have to protect everyone. Northern Uganda had a yellow fever outbreak and it became necessary to vaccinate everyone. There is nothing wrong with the statement. I still believe that the clause should be upheld,” she said.
The MPs argued that by adding penalties, the vaccination or revaccination becomes mandatory. They said that there is no reason for Ugandans to be subjected to mandatory vaccination.
“The Bill states that a person who fails to comply is liable to conviction or a fine. That statement alone is mandatory and that cannot be accepted,” Nsamba said.
The new law, on the other hand, upheld the vaccination of children of 12 months within birth against the immunizable diseases that may be declared by the Minister of Health.
“Where a vaccinator is of opinion that any child is not in a fit state to be vaccinated or revaccinated, the vaccinator shall issue in respect of that child, a certificate to that effect and indicate where applicable the date at which the child is to be vaccinated or revaccinated,” read the Bill in part.
Schools will also be required by the new law to ensure a child is immunized before they are admitted into daycare, pre-primary or primary school.
The law prescribes a fine of Shs1 million or imprisonment of three months for a person who violates the provisions for immunization of children.
