Kampala, Mar 28 (IANS): Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni have received their first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines at State House in the capital, Kampala.

"I encourage all Ugandans who qualify for this vaccination to go to health facilities and get it," Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying in a tweet on Saturday after he was vaccinated.

Ruth Aceng, Uganda's Health Minister, hailed the first family for being inoculated in the ongoing nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign exercise in the east African country.

Aceng and senior officials from her Ministry were among the first recipients of the Covid-19 dose.

Uganda launched the first phase of Covid-19 vaccination campaign on March 10, targeting high risk groups.

The Ministry targets to vaccinate more than 21.9 million people who face the highest risk of the infection, which include health workers, teachers, security personnel, elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

Uganda has received the first donation of 964,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from COVAX facility vaccine sharing program and the Indian government.