About 800 Ugandans are reported to have been hoodwinked by an unscrupulous doctor and other suspects into taking water believing that it was Covid-19 vaccine.

This was revealed by the Ugandan director of State House health monitoring unit, Dr Warren Namaara.

The suspects are said to have injected hundreds of people, including company employees, with fake vaccines between May 15 and June 17.

Their little scam came to light after a number of suspected fake Covid-19 vails and authentic vails were sent to National Drug Authority (NDA) and the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratory in Wandegeya and the for analysis.

The samples were then forwarded to Serum Institute of India where the AstraZeneca vaccines are manufactured for comparison with the authentic ones.

Serum Institute of India confirmed that indeed the forwarded batch and the product label details were not genuine.

The Directorate of Government Analytical laboratory also reiterated the findings of the Serum Institute of India.

Dr Namaara said the vaccines had more water in them compared to any other chemical contents analyzed.

Dr Namaara however noted that part of the population that received the fake vaccine is in no danger as the fake jabs did not contain any poisonous substances.

“All persons and cooperate companies vaccinated at a fee, especially within the premises of work by the suspect still at large, are advised to get a free Covid-19 jab at Ministry of Health-approved vaccination centres,” Namaara said.

Detectives from the State House have already arrested 2 nurses from Nakawa, Kampala in connection to the scam. 

The two nurses are being accused of injecting people with fake Covid-19 vaccines and issuing them with fake Covid-19 certifications