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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kitgum district health department is considering rolling out an emergency TB vaccination campaign targeting infants who missed out on the recent vaccination exercise.
The Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is administered to infants at or from birth to 8 weeks to protect the babies against Tuberculosis (TB).
Margret Aryemo, the Kitgum District Deputy Health Officer, says some of the infants missed out on the vaccination because of the BCG vaccine stock out in the district.
She however, says they received vaccines from the National Medical Stores-NMS and plan to trace children who missed out on the previous vaccination exercise.
Rose Mary Ayaa, the Senior Nursing Officer Kitgum General Hospital explains tracing the infants will involve reviewing the Health Information System at the hospital and lower health facilities to establish those who missed out on the immunization.
“Through the health information at the health facility we shall be able to review the available information detailing the child who had a missed opportunity, the child’s parent and caregiver’s home of residents and origin for easier tracking”, says Rose Mary Ayaa.
She says health workers will move to homes with children below the age of five years to trace those who missed out on the BCG vaccination.
She also says the department will utilize the house-to-house immunization campaign to identify children who missed out on the immunization against other immunizable diseases.
She says this stems from reports that some mothers fail to complete the recommended immunization schedules, which exposes the children to diseases.
“The Ministry of Health policy guideline under the Uganda National Program on Immunization (UNEPI) requires that all children below one year should receive vaccination against the before their first birthday”, says Ayaa.
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