The Luwero District Health Department and the District Security Committee have issued a stern warning to headteachers against frustrating the upcoming measles-rubella vaccination exercise. Luwero District is set to roll out the vaccination campaign from October 1st to 5th, 2026, targeting children aged between nine months and five years.
The exercise is part of a national immunisation campaign following a measles outbreak reported in 28 districts across the country. In Luwero, measles outbreaks were recorded in Busiika Town Council and Kalagala Sub-county. Following the outbreak, the district is targeting to vaccinate 124,000 children through designated vaccination points, including schools and health centres, as well as through home visits.
Nkonwa said the campaign will target all children irrespective of their previous measles rubella vaccination status. Dr. Innocent Nkonwa, the Luwero District Health Officer, says the district has already trained 36 health workers to oversee the exercise, while another 400 health workers have been deployed to conduct the vaccination.
Nkonwa, however, says health workers have previously faced resistance from some school administrators, who demanded parental consent before allowing children to be vaccinated. He says the District Security Committee has been notified in advance and that school administrators who obstruct the exercise will be arrested, stressing that the vaccination is a government programme aimed at protecting children and the wider school community.
Meanwhile, Mariam Nalubega, the Luwero Resident District Commissioner, says any headteacher who blocks health workers from vaccinating eligible children will be arrested and charged with sabotaging a government programme and breaching the Public Health Act, 2017.
In April this year, the Ministry of Health largely attributed the measles outbreak to not receiving the required 2 doses of the Measles Rubella vaccine, delays in seeking care, and underlying conditions like malnutrition. 75% of those affected by measles were children under 5 years of age.
Some of the badly affected districts included Bulambuli, Kassanda, Amolatar, Kibaale, Nwoya, Karenga, Amuru, Agago, Kagadi, Kiboga, Kyegegwa, Kaabong, Kotido, Kween, Lira District, Sembabule, Kikuube, Gulu District, Kazo, Mubende and Adjumani. A total of 12 measles-related deaths were reported in Kagadi, Kikuube, Adjumani, Bulambuli and Karenga.
The measles-rubella vaccination exercise seeks to protect children against measles a highly contagious disease that can cause serious health complications and death-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
