Meningitis vaccination suffers delays in Soroti

The mass meningitis immunization campaign kicked off with some delays registered in some parts of Soroti district. 

The campaign which targets the age group between one to 29 years, seeks to strengthen surveillance and encourage routine immunization in the country, the health ministry's acting director general services, Prof Anthony Mbonye stated. 

Under the campaign, free immunization will be conducted in high risk districts from 19^th to 24^th January 2017. 

Martin Amodoi the district health educator said the immunization exercise started in Eastern Division Soroti municipality at 11am instead of 8am. 

Amodoi said the exercise delayed to kick off in Eastern Division because leaders and locals matched on the streets before the RDC Filbert Ocailap launched the exercise at Soroti public gardens. 

Those immunized were grateful to government for rescuing them from the killer meningococcal disease caused by neisseria meningitidis (NM). 

Soroti district targets to vaccinate 216,000 people before the five day mass meningitis preventive campaign ends on Monday. 

So far the exercise is ongoing in the 279 designated vaccination posts in the district

This government program covering 29 districts of Acholi, Lango, West Nile, Karamoja and Teso is done in every ten years.