Uganda Launches Nationwide Measles-Rubella Vaccination Drive

The Ministry of Health in Uganda has announced a comprehensive nationwide vaccination campaign aimed at eradicating measles and rubella. Scheduled to run from October 1 to 5, 2026, the initiative will focus on immunizing all children between one month and five years old.

This critical public health effort comes in response to a noted resurgence of measles outbreaks across the country over the past three years. Dr. Allan Muruta, Commissioner for Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance, highlighted that a significant number of affected children had either missed routine vaccinations or were not fully protected.

“The vast majority of those affected have missed their vaccination for measles,” Dr. Muruta stated, emphasizing the urgency of the campaign. To ensure maximum reach, the campaign will target children irrespective of their previous vaccination history. Local leaders and stakeholders are urged to play an active role in community mobilization.

Preparations are underway, with national guidelines and microplanning tools distributed to local governments. The vaccination efforts will be multifaceted, utilizing health facilities, temporary medical camps, mobile clinics, and community outreach programs. Strategies will include door-to-door approaches by Village Health Teams to ensure no child is missed.

Beyond measles and rubella, the campaign will integrate other essential health services such as health promotion, disease screening, WASH initiatives, nutrition support, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, and reproductive health services, depending on local capacity.

Health officials like Dr. Alfred Yayi of Jinja Regional Referral Hospital have voiced strong support for the campaign, noting a worrying trend of declining vaccination coverage leading to the return of measles cases. He stressed the importance of parental engagement to overcome vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions.

“When children are not vaccinated against measles and rubella, we see cases of measles coming back,” Dr. Yayi cautioned, pointing to recent resurgences in pediatric wards as a cause for concern. He urged parents to embrace the vaccination drive, assuring them of the safety and proven benefits of immunization in controlling preventable diseases.

Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/370138/uganda-announces-nationwide-measles-rubella-vaccination-campaign