By Adam Bukenya | Tuesday, April 15, 2025

The ongoing statewide yellow fever vaccination program, which started on April 10 and is anticipated to go until April 16, aims to vaccinate over 50,000 people, according to Kaliro District health authorities.

Youth mobilizers equipped with megaphones have been sent out to visit local health centers and encourage people to get the vaccine in order to achieve this lofty aim.

Citing approvals from the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health, district health educator Eric Kiduba reassured locals about the vaccine’s efficacy and safety.

He rejected false claims that the immunization causes impotence that are making the rounds in some areas.

Kiduba stated at the official campaign launch at Bumanya Health Centre IV that “some people had been moving around trying to lie to the public that the vaccines cause impotency in men and women, which is not true.”

He disclosed that more than 300 medical professionals had been stationed around the district to guarantee prompt and efficient service delivery during the campaign.

Religious leaders were cautioned by Resident District Commissioner John Bosco Mubitto not to discourage their followers from getting the immunization.

Such actions, he added, amounted to sabotage of a government program, and anyone who committed them would be arrested and prosecuted.

“Any leader found guilty of discouraging participation in the vaccination exercise will be closely monitored by security personnel,” Mubitto stated.

Noting that physical and spiritual health must coexist, he also urged religious leaders to mobilize their congregations for the campaign from their pulpits.

The Yellow Fever Reactive Campaign’s Central Supervisor for Advocacy, Communication, and Social Mobilization, Lydia Akoth, informed the Nile Post that a verified incidence of yellow fever in nearby Kibuku District served as the impetus for the campaign.

“The campaign is aimed at individuals between the ages of one and sixty and is planned to run for seven days, from April 10 to April 16, 2025,” Akoth stated.

“Anyone who has not received the vaccine is encouraged to visit their local vaccination post or visit a medical facility.”

There is no cure for yellow fever, she stressed, and she urged health centers to continue providing the vaccination even when the campaign is over.

Elijah Kagoda, the district chairperson, urged all levels of political leaders to back the mobilization initiative.

He said that since the yellow fever vaccine is required for foreign travel, residents who plan to travel overseas should take advantage of the program.

Bumanya Health Centre IV’s in-charge, Dr. Ivan Munigwa, attested that the institution had enough staff to accommodate the anticipated volume of patients.

To ensure the success of the yellow fever vaccine campaign, officials are depending on a combination of community involvement, youth involvement, and local leadership as Kaliro intensifies mobilization efforts.