KAMPALA, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Uganda is set to immunize more than 17 million people, including adults and children, against yellow fever, a senior Ministry of Health official announced on Tuesday.
Michael Baganizi, the program manager of the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization, said that the vaccination campaign, scheduled to begin early April, will cover 53 districts.
The mass vaccination exercise will be conducted in phases, with a previous phase held in October last year targeting children below one year. "Now, the target group is above one year and adults below 59 years of age," Baganizi explained.
He urged Ugandans to participate in large numbers for the free and safe vaccination.
Yellow fever is a viral disease transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. It presents with symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, muscle pain, nausea and jaundice, according to the ministry. ■