According to the Uganda Expanded Program For Vaccination (UNEPV) manager Dr. Alfred Driwale, the government is set to conduct a second mass vaccination campaign.
In response to a threat of polio particles that were identified in Kampala, the drive will be launched next month starting from November 4 to 11 targeting a total of 8.7 million children in the age bracket of zero to five years.
Furthermore, health workers led by local leaders will move door to door vaccinating children starting from one month to five years across the country respectively.
During an interview on Monday, Dr. Driwale urged parents and guardians to give access to health workers vaccinating their children.
The first polio vaccine dose is given orally at birth or within the first two weeks after birth and then the dose is given at six weeks through an injection to the child. And then when the child turns ten weeks old, they receive their last dose through drops in the mouth.
Uganda conducted the first mass polio vaccination campaign in 2019. This was in response to polio threats that were identified in the neighboring countries of Congo, South Sudan, and Kenya.
The earlier second mass polio campaign was carried out in March this year (2022) after circulating polioviruses were discovered in water sources around Kampala.
