Kiryandongo district registers huge turn-up for Yellow Fever vaccination

KIRYANDONGO, UGANDA: Kiryandongo district registered a huge turn-up for the yellow fever vaccination campaign which started mid-last week.

The vaccination campaign comes at a time when the country is facing a big risk of an outbreak with some fatal cases registered in border districts like Buliisa.

Karungi Stella attached to St. Mary’s Health Centre III- Kigumba narrated that yellow fever is spread by the female Tiger mosquito that gets the germ from monkeys and spreads it to people. She states that it is then easier for the viral disease to spread through contact with infected people.

Karungi added that area local leaders supported the campaign that saw over 400,000 people turn up throughout the district.

Dr Sanyu Saidat, the Chief Clinical Officer at Kiryandogo General Hospital stated that the disease has no cure and that the only to be safe is avoiding by getting vaccinated against the viral disease.

“One of the biggest challenges we have faced is misinformation. Many people have come telling us that we are injecting them with diseases. That is not actually true. The government has invested in this program because it is for the good of its people. Government cannot kill its own people” she narrated.

She advised people who have not got vaccinated to get vaccinated at any nearest government health facility.

Speaking at the launch of the vaccination campaign last week, Health Minister, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said demands for the yellow fever vaccination have been on since she assumed office.

Dr. Aceng also the Lira City Woman MP Lira City said the launch is an important milestone for the country but more especially for the 51 districts that are more prone to the disease.

Under the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization (UNEPI), the ministry will conduct the campaign in three phases to administer 13.4m doses of vaccines.

The first phase will run from 9th to 13th June 2023 in 51 districts in the regions of Lango, Acholi, West Nile, Rwenzori, Bunyoro, Kigezi, and Ankole.

The second phase will be conducted in October 2023, while the third phase will be conducted in October next year. Aceng further explained that the country does not have enough doses of vaccines for mass vaccination, the reason why they opted for a phased manner.