Dr. Annet Kisakye, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Immunization and Surveillance Officer has praised the efforts of Ugandan politicians in spearheading the Yellow Fever Vaccination Campaign and encouraging city residents to participate in the vaccination drive.
This follows the nationwide yellow fever vaccination campaign, which kicked off on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, and will run until April 8, covering 53 districts across Uganda.
According to Dr. Kisakye, the vaccine will provide lifetime protection against yellow fever, emphasizing the long-term benefits of vaccination, stating that the vaccination effort is a significant step towards increasing population immunity to yellow fever.
“This vaccine will provide you with lifetime protection against yellow fever,” Kisakye said.
The Mayor of Kawempe Division, Emmanuel Sserunjoji, led by example during the launch at the Kawempe Division headquarters, encouraging locals to support the initiative.
“I encourage all of you to get vaccinated against yellow fever if you have not been vaccinated before,” Sserunjoji said.
However, pregnant women and individuals allergic to eggs are advised against receiving the vaccine since the yellow fever vaccine is a live virus vaccine and poses a theoretical risk.
The vaccination exercise has seen a positive response from city residents, who are actively visiting various vaccination sites to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
The yellow fever vaccine is free of charge and available to anyone aged one to sixty (1–60) years.
Uganda planned the phased implementation of Yellow Fever Preventive Mass Vaccination Campaigns (PMVC) in 2023 and 2024 to combat the disease effectively.