Uganda parliament on Tuesday plans to impose fines on people who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Parliament’s house health committee has begun scrutinising Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2021 which seeks to make coronavirus vaccinations mandatory.

“According to the proposal, those who do not get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be fined 4 million shillings or (receive) a jail term of six months,” parliament said in a statement on its website.

The statement quoted health minister Jane Ruth Aceng as telling lawmakers on the committee that mandatory vaccinations would ensure enough people are vaccinated so that “we create mass immunity.

“It is important that whoever is supposed to be vaccinated, is vaccinated.”

The statement did not say when the proposed law was likely to be brought before all members of parliament for approval.

Uganda fully reopened its economy in January after two years of anti-coronavirus measures.

Although the East African country started administering COVID-19 jabs nearly a year ago, only about 16 million jabs have been administered in a population of 45 million, with officials blaming widespread reluctance for the low coverage.

The country has recorded about 163,000 cases of COVID-19 and 3,500 deaths, health ministry data show. 

(Reuters/NAN)