The Ministry of Health through the Vaccines and Immunization under the National Diseases Control Programme, part of the Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization (UNEPI) has set apart September 2025 to conduct a reactive vaccination campaign against Yellow Fever in Busoga sub region.
This was revealed by Ms. Beatrice Mutonyi who prefers to be called a senior nurse attached to UNEPI says the campaign is targeting children from one year to 6 years in the last week of September to the first week of October.
Mutonyi says the Ministry had earlier conducted yellow fever vaccinations in some regions of the country except Busoga and Mubende which is now the top priority area for the exercise.
“…we are looking at schools from nursery to tertiary institutions including teachers themselves so long as they are within the age bracket above because Uganda is on the Yellow Fever Belt…”, she said.
Ms. Beatrice Mutonyi disclosed this at the sidelines of a three-day Busoga Annual Regional Health review meeting held at the Hotel Paradise On The Nile
What Is A Reactive Vaccination?
A reactive vaccination campaign is a type of vaccination effort that is implemented in response to a specific public health threat or outbreak.
Unlike preventive or routine vaccination campaigns, which aim to protect a population from potential future threats, reactive vaccination campaigns focus on containing and mitigating an ongoing or emerging health crisis.
In the context of this news article, a reactive vaccination against yellow fever is a public health strategy used to control and prevent outbreaks of yellow fever.
It involves vaccinating individuals in response to a confirmed or suspected outbreak typically in a specific geographical area.
in relation to preparation districts have been urged to like populate micro planning tools according to the parameters where details are generated from to ensure the exercise is successful.
Reactive vaccination involves vaccinating people in response to an outbreak aiming to limit the spread of the disease and protect those at risk.
What Is A Micro Plan?
A micro plan for a reactive vaccination campaign is a detailed, localized plan that outlines the specific steps and strategies for implementing a vaccination effort in response to a public health emergency or outbreak.
It is typically developed by local health authorities, such as district or sub-district health teams, in collaboration with other stakeholders.
Key components of a micro plan for reactive vaccination are an assessment of the outbreak or public health emergency, including the affected population, geographic area, and disease transmission patterns.
It must have clear goals and objectives for the vaccination campaign, such as target population, coverage rates, and timelines and also involves identification of the specific groups or populations to be vaccinated, including age ranges, occupations, or other relevant characteristics.
A micro plan must have description of the vaccination approach, including vaccination sites and locations, vaccination teams and staffing, vaccine distribution and logistics and communication and social mobilization strategies.
There is the planning for vaccine procurement, storage, transportation, and distribution, as well as management of other essential supplies, such as syringes and safety boxes.
In summary a well-developed micro plan for reactive vaccination enables effective and efficient implementation of the campaign, ensuring that the target population is reached and protected against the specific public health threat.
What Is yellow Fever?
Yellow Fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected female Aedes mosquitos primarily in tropical and subtropical parts of the world particularly Africa and South America.
Yellow fever can be a deadly disease and the severity varies and the mortality rate can be significant, especially in outbreaks or among unvaccinated populations. The case fatality rate (CFR) for yellow fever can range from 20% to 60% or more severe cases depending on the outbreak and population affected.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), the CFR for yellow fever can be as high as 50%in some outbreaks. Experts say severe yellow fever can lead to serious complications including hemorrhaging or bleeding, organ failure (kidney and liver failure), shock and death.
Why Vaccination Is Critical:
Experts say vaccination is a highly effective way to prevent yellow fever and reduce the risk of severe disease and death. The yellow fever vaccine is safe, affordable and provides long-term immunity.
It also helps in protecting vulnerable populations such as older adults, young children and people with weakened immune systems who are more susceptible to severe disease.
Mass vaccination campaigns can help prevent outbreaks and reduce the spread of the disease in areas where yellow is common.
Vaccination is recommended for travelers to areas where yellow fever is endemic, reducing the risk of infection and spread of the disease to new areas.
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