KAMPALA – The minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, was on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at Green Hill Academy in Kampala to witness her daughter, nephews and nieces get vaccinated against measles-rubella and polio.
The minister’s appearance was in public show of confidence that the vaccine is safe for all.
The immunization exercise, which targets children of 15 years and below, is ongoing across the whole country until October 20. While the exercise has so far been successful in most parts of the country, in some others some parents refused to have their children immunised, claiming that the government may be up to some mischief.
At least one person has been arrested in Tororo District for obstructing the ongoing nationwide mass vaccination campaign.
Mr. Were Yahaya, the Tororo deputy Resident District Commissioner, confirmed that Geofrey Awala, 45, a resident of Tengor-Lulikoyo Village in Osukuru Parish was arrested after he tried to deny the vaccinating team access to his home.
Dr. Alfred Driwale, the programme manager at Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunisation in the Ministry of Health, dismissed the claims the vaccine is dangerous as baseless and unacceptable. “This is proven by science that one’s immunity is greatly improved with booster doses of vaccinations,” he said
He added: “About 35 per cent of children in Uganda are not immunised and most of them are in Kampala and Wakiso. Just like any other vaccines, this one too has some side effects including fever and minor rash.”
Dr Anne Akullo, a pediatrician and an immunization coordinator under the Uganda Pediatricians Association says that the combination vaccination will protect unborn children from malformations that can be an effect of a pregnant woman developing the disease.
