Uganda has started immunizing over 38.4 million children and adults who missed critical vaccination services disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdown, a spokesman of the health ministry said Tuesday.
Emmanuel Ainebyoona told Xinhua by telephone that the ministry is running October vaccination drive, dubbed Integrated Child Health Days (ICHDs), to minimize preventable morbidity, mortality and disability due to diarrhea, pneumonia, measles, tetanus, tuberculosis and cancer of the cervix, among others.
Ainebyoona said that a total of 1.2 million girls aged 10-11 are being immunized against cervical cancer; 17.3 million children aged under 15 years of age are being dewormed and 7.5 million children under five are supposed to receive Vitamin A supplementation against preventable blindness.
Some 12 million people aged 19 and above in central and western regions are being screened and vaccinated against Hepatitis B and 500,000 children are to receive various doses of other routine vaccination.
"The campaign helps us to mop up and have all children who missed the routine immunization due to the COVID-19 lockdown to get the necessary antigens to protect them," said Ainebyoona.
"The children who need deworming are dewormed; those who need screening for immunizable diseases like Hepatitis B, cervical cancer are screened and immunized," he said
"We encourage parents, guardians and caretakers to ensure that the children benefit from this immunization services," he added.
Uganda, with a population of 45.7 million, intensifies the ICHD healthcare drive every year in April and October, but were affected in April this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
