BY OBED KITHENDE
Kasese District Local Government targets to vaccinate 95% of its general population against yellow fever during a five day mass vaccination exercise that begins tomorrow.
According to the 2022 – 2023 population data of Kasese, the district has close to one million people.
Dr. Yusuf Baseke, the District Health Officer says they have set up 317 vaccination centres across the district in a bid to meet their target of 95%. The exercise that begins tomorrow June 10, 2023 will end on Wednesday June 14, 2023.
Yellow fever is a serious disease that is caused by the yellow fever virus. The virus is transmitted by a bite of an infected aedes mosquito which is common in areas that neighbour the forests. During a stakeholders’ meeting that was held at District Health Officer’s Boardroom, Dr. Baseke explained that they would vaccinate people aged from 09 months to 60 years.
The District Health Officer told the meeting that during the exercise, some categories of people including expectant and breast feeding mothers, people on ARVs, those with diabetes and morbidities are not going to be vaccinated because they are always weak.
Mr. Stephen Bagonza, the Kasese District Assistant District Health Officer in-charge of Environmental Health while lecturing the different stakeholders including religious, cultural and political leaders and members of the press described yellow fever as a dangerous disease that kills. He however noted that the infection can be managed by being vaccinated.
According to him, to effectively implement the vaccination exercise, all the L. C I and II Chairpersons and VHTs have been trained to sensitize their communities about the dangerous of yellow fever.
On top of the gazetted vaccination centres, Mr. Bagonza stressed that a team of trained health officers will also be moving to various schools to vaccinate the school going children and give them vaccination cards to avoid double dosage.
Ms Agnes Mbambu, the District Health Educator, reported that in case of any reactions to the vaccine, people should report to the Health Workers immediately for proper management and investigations.
Ms Maria Gorret Munganga, a Senior Nursing Officer from the Ministry of Health who had come to witness the exercise of dispatching the vaccines to the different vaccination centres, explained that vaccination against yellow fever would be done once and for all.
Lt. Maate Magwara, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner in-charge of Bukonzo County told the meeting that the World Health Organization recommends that everyone from the community cases have been confirmed should be vaccinated.
According to him, recently, Kasese district registered 03 positive cases if yellow fever at Nyamirami Health Centre III but all patients were treated and have since recovered.