GOVT WARNS AGAINST SABOTAGE AHEAD OF MEASLES VACCINATION

Young mothers in Apac District sit under a tent at Apac Boma Grounds on April 2, 2025, as they wait for health workers to administer vaccines to their children. PHOTO/FILE/CHARITY

Daily monitor

Uganda will on Thursday begin a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign targeting all children aged nine months to five years, with health officials warning communities against misinformation and attempts to undermine the exercise.

The five-day campaign, running from October 1 to 5, will cover all eligible children regardless of their previous vaccination status as the Ministry of Health seeks to close immunity gaps and prevent further measles outbreaks.

The campaign follows a resurgence of measles in several parts of the country, including Lango Sub-region in northern Uganda.

The Ministry said vaccination teams will use a parish-based, village-to-village mobile strategy, while Village Health Teams (VHTs) will mobilise households and help identify children who need vaccination.

Dr Charles Akiya Oyoo, the Ministry of Health Commissioner for Non-Communicable Diseases, said the campaign is part of a broader strategy to address communicable and non-communicable diseases while preventing future epidemics.

He said Uganda has designated March-April and September-October as periods for integrated health campaigns to optimise resources, reduce duplication and ease the burden on health workers and communities.

“There were cases in Otuke District, and I believe other districts also experienced resurgence of measles outbreaks,” Dr Akiya said.

He explained that measles vaccination does not produce immunity in every vaccinated child, meaning immunity gaps can accumulate over time if children who miss vaccination are not reached.

“As you vaccinate against measles, about 15 per cent of the population does not develop immunity. Over time, that number accumulates until outbreaks become inevitable,” he said.

Dr Akiya said the latest campaign is intended to reach children who missed routine vaccination and prevent the accumulation of susceptible children in communities.

“So, over time, that population, that number keeps on accumulating, and reaches a critical stage when outbreak is bound to happen. So, the vast majority of those children have missed their vaccination for measles, and in response to this, ministry is organising nationwide measles rubella campaign from the 1st to the 5th of October 2026,” he said.

Officials warn against misinformation

Dr Akiya called on leaders and communities to support the campaign and warned against attempts to sabotage government health programmes.

“This is a nationwide effort, not limited to one region. You know, there are those who, on the other side, would like to tarnish or sabotage government programmes by bringing in many excuses. This will not be entertained,” he said.

He said development partners would support mobilisation and provide resources where gaps exist, while VHTs would help strengthen links between households and health facilities.

Amolatar Resident District Commissioner Francis Doki Rwotlonyo also warned against misinformation and deliberate attempts to derail the campaign.

He said Amolatar’s location exposes residents to health threats from neighbouring areas and called for cooperation with health authorities.

“In Amolatar we come from the centre of Uganda and sometimes we attract health issues from Soroti, Kampala, South Sudan and Gulu. Being a district that is in the midst of Lake Kyoga, our people are prone to so many epidemic diseases,” Mr Rwotlonyo said.

“Government programmes are designed to protect lives, and any effort to sabotage them by spreading excuses or misinformation will not be entertained. Communities must rally behind this campaign to safeguard our children,” he added.

Immunisation gaps

Uganda confirmed 66 separate measles outbreaks in 2025, according to health authorities, including a cluster of deaths in an underserved region.

The World Health Organization says Uganda has conducted measles vaccination campaigns since 2003, with the latest nationwide campaign held in 2022.

However, routine immunisation coverage for the two recommended measles-rubella (MR) doses has remained below the 95 per cent threshold considered necessary to achieve herd immunity.

In 2025, only 43 per cent of districts reached the target for the first MR dose, while only 21 of the 146 districts achieved the target for the second dose.

Among confirmed measles cases recorded during outbreaks in 2025, 64 per cent had never received a measles vaccine dose, while none of the investigated cases had received both recommended doses.

Health officials are therefore urging parents, caregivers, local leaders and communities to ensure that all children aged nine months to five years are presented for vaccination during the campaign, irrespective of whether they were vaccinated previously.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis