Health authorities in Soroti City have raised concern over resistance from some schools as Uganda’s five-day mass measles-rubella vaccination campaign gets underway. The nationwide campaign, which started on Thursday and runs until October 5, targets children aged between nine and 59 months, with health workers conducting vaccinations in schools, health facilities and communities.
Speaking during the launch of the campaign at Amecet Children’s Home in Soroti City West on Thursday, the city health officer, Dr Noah Okiror, said some schools had denied health workers permission to vaccinate eligible children on their premises.
“I have received reports that some schools are resisting the vaccine, yet all schools had engaged in the planning process. It seems they are already resisting our nurses and midwives who had gone to conduct the exercise,” Dr Okiror said.
He did not identify the affected schools but said health teams were continuing to engage school administrators and parents to address concerns about the vaccination exercise. Dr Okiror appealed to the Resident City Commissioner’s office to support health teams in gaining access to the affected schools.
Dr Margaret Nabatanzi, the Ministry of Health’s national supervisor for Soroti City, warned that people who deliberately obstruct the vaccination exercise could face legal action. “No child in this age group should miss the vaccine,” Dr Nabatanzi said, urging city authorities to work towards 100 per cent vaccination coverage. She said health workers had been trained and were prepared to reach all eligible children.
Dr Nabatanzi also said laboratory findings had shown an increasing trend in measles outbreaks, prompting the Ministry of Health to undertake the mass vaccination campaign. She said health teams would conduct a mop-up exercise in areas where some children were missed during the five-day campaign.
The Deputy Town Clerk, Joseph Mwesigwa, attributed some of the opposition to the campaign to lack of information among community members. He urged health workers to intensify community sensitisation on the safety and importance of the vaccines to address misconceptions and encourage parents and guardians to have eligible children vaccinated.
Soroti has received 45,900 doses of the measles-rubella vaccine against a target population of 43,000 children. Health officials said the vaccine is safe and protects children against measles and rubella, diseases that can cause serious complications. The Ministry of Health said the vaccination is free and is being offered through schools, health facilities and community outreach points-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
