43,778 children in Hoima get vaccinated against measles

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Hoima District health department has vaccinated 43,778 children against Measles.

Those vaccinated are aged between 9 months and 5 years. They were vaccinated last week in the second round of the mass measles vaccination.

The first round of the mass measles vaccination was conducted in February after an outbreak of the disease was reported in the district.

In February this year, the measles outbreak was confirmed in the district in the four villages of Runga and Kavava in Kiganja sub-county, and Tonya and Rwentale in Buseruka sub-county, along the shores of Lake Albert with children between the ages of one and five years being the most affected demographic group.

This was after samples taken from the affected individuals tested positive for measles at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI).

Fredrick Byenume, the Hoima District health inspector told Uganda Radio Network-URN in an interview on Saturday that in the second round of the mass measles vaccination, they vaccinated 43,778 children out of the targeted 45,601.

Statistics at the district health department indicate that 6,226 children were vaccinated in the sub county of Kyabigambire, 5,267 were vaccinated in Kitoba sub county, 2,539 vaccinated in the sub county of Kisukuma,1,045 children vaccinated in Kijongo sub county while 2,812 were vaccinated in Kigorobya town council.

According to Byenume,  in the first round, more than 2,000 people were vaccinated.

Byenume has however appealed to people in the district to always avoid over crowding in areas where the virus is reported stating that, it makes it hard for them to mitigate the risk of transmission.

In 2011, five children succumbed to measles in Hoima district. The dead were children below 10 years of age, according to Health Authorities.

The outbreak was then confirmed in Nzorobi village and Kaiso landing site in Tonya and Kabaale parishes in Buseruka Sub County. In January 2013, a measles outbreak was also confirmed in Hoima district.

Measles presents with fever, dry cough, runny nose, sore throat, inflamed eyes, tiny white spots with bluish-white centres on a red background found inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek and skin rash made of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another among others.

According to health experts, the signs and symptoms of measles appear around 10 to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

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URN