Uganda Vaccinates 8.2 Million Children in Measles-Rubella Campaign

What the report says

Uganda’s Ministry of Health says a five-day national measles-rubella vaccination campaign reached more than 8.2 million children, surpassing the original target. According to the Nile Post report, the drive ran from October 1 to 5 and aimed to provide an extra dose of vaccine to children aged nine to 59 months across the country.

The ministry said 8,285,835 children were vaccinated, which it said amounted to 108.8% of the target of 7,616,746 children. That was 669,089 more children than planned. The report says the campaign included children who had already received the vaccine before, as health officials sought to strengthen protection during ongoing measles-rubella outbreaks.

Dr Charles Olaro, the Ministry’s Director General of Health Services, credited health workers, Village Health Teams, district health teams and community mobilisers for helping reach families, including in hard-to-access areas. The ministry also acknowledged parents, local leaders, schools, religious and cultural institutions, development partners and media outlets for supporting the effort.

The campaign has ended, but the ministry is urging caregivers to keep up with routine immunisation. It advised parents whose children missed the campaign to seek guidance from the nearest health facility, saying regular vaccination remains important for preventing measles, rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases.