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By our reporter-Masindi
Masindi District Health Officer, Dr Jino Abiriga has issued a call to all families in the district to embrace the yellow fever vaccination which is being provided for free. The appeal came in during a recent launch of the vaccination campaign in Masindi District.
Dr. Abiriga said that the vaccination is currently available at all public health facilities in the district. He urged family members to make the most of this opportunity to get immunized against the disease. Yellow fever is a viral infection that is transmitted by mosquitoes. It can be fatal, especially in the absence of timely and appropriate treatment.
According to Dr. Abiriga, the vaccination campaign is a significant initiative as it would assist in preventing the spread of the disease. He added that it would also save numerous lives and subsequently protect families from the emotional and financial breakdown that results from the ill health of family members.
While the vaccination campaign is aimed at ensuring that as many people as possible in Masindi District get vaccinated, he said that the elderly and children are particularly vulnerable to the virus and must be given priority when it comes to receiving the vaccine.
Dr. Diana Atwine, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health while speaking at the launch of the vaccination campaign in Lira on 8th June 2023 cautioned that the vaccines should not be taken by children who are under 9 months, pregnant women, and persons with severe immune suppression.
“If you know that you have severe allergies, especially to eggs or proteins, please make sure that if you want to take this vaccine you must be under strict observation of the medical person because we don’t want to cause a serious reaction,” Atwine said.
The Minister for Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng who launched the vaccination at Lira city, said the local population should take advantage of the vaccines that have been brought near to them. She said Yellow Fever Preventive Mass Vaccination Campaign is under the theme “One Injection Lifelong Protection Eliminate Yellow Fever by 2026”
Aceng said the first phase will be conducted in 51 high-risk districts in the regions of Lira, Gulu, Kabale, Kabarole, Arua, and Hoima this month followed by 53 medium-risk districts in the regions of Kampala, Masaka, Mbarara, Moroto, and Soroti in October 2023, and lastly 36 low-risk districts in the regions of Mbale, Mubende, and Jinja. (Regions = Area of Jurisdiction of referral Hospitals)
Yellow fever is an infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes that bite mostly during the day. As of 2023, 34 countries in Africa and 13 countries in Central and South America are either endemic for or have regions that are endemic to, yellow fever.
