19 million children missed vaccination – Ministry of Health
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 19 million children missed vaccination and de-worming.
Figures from the ministry indicate that 1.2 million children aged 10-11 years missed cervical cancer vaccination while 500,000 children also missed routine vaccination. An additional 17.3 million children under the age of 15 missed de-worming as a result of disruptions caused by the 2019 Measles-Rubella mass vaccination campaign and the COVID-19 lockdown.
According to the health ministry, the missed vaccination and de-worming opportunities were recorded in the months of October and November 2019 and during the COVID-19 lockdown period in the months of March to June.
Due to the nationwide lockdown, the health ministry estimates that uptake of immunization services reduced by more than 65 percent.
Dr Alfred Driwale, the programme manager Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization says the lack of immunization leaves many children prone to diseases.
“When we have over one million girls not immunized against cervical cancer with the HPV, this means they can easily acquire cancer. Normally, if schools were open, these girls would have been immunized in April but they were not and we need to address it,” Dr Driwale said.
As a means of addressing the gap, the ministry of health has planned to have the affected children receive immunization and de-worming services during this month’s integrated child health days.
Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu, the Minister of State for Primary Health Care says they have directed all health facilities in the country to offer the services free of charge so that the immunization gap is filled.
“Accumulation of children who are not immunized weakens population immunity and is a risk for outbreaks of preventable diseases. The integrated child days this year will therefore be an opportunity for routine immunization, HPV vaccination, TB, de-worming and vitamin A,” she said.
Other services that will be offered during the integrated child health days this month include screening for hepatitis B, screening for people aged 18 and above in the regions of Kigezi, Ankole, Tooro, Bunyoro and Buganda.
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