Not even the Tuesday afternoon downpour could stop the long-awaited yellow fever vaccination exercise in Soroti district from going ahead.

The district leadership led by the Resident District Commissioner Salim Komakech, took the lead in receiving yellow fever jabs on Tuesday afternoon.

The Ministry of Health allocated the first four days for vaccinating learners before they embark on the general public but Soroti district leadership came first at the district headquarters.

“We have to be leading by example to the people we serve so that they will not fear to participate in the programme,” Komakech said.

The nurse vaccinating the LC3 of Lale sub county Osman Oyoma

The district speaker Stephen Olebe, district councillors, and technical officers queued at the district headquarters to take their jabs.

“Yellow fever vaccination is crucial to every person because nobody is allowed to travel abroad without the yellow fever vaccination card, so it's important that all people embrace the exercise,” Olebe said.

Godfrey Ekuka a public health officer in the Ministry of Health clarified that nobody should be turned away due to lack of a national identity card.

District leaders queuing to give their details before they were vaccinated against yellow fever

“Issues of national identity cards are not mandatory so our people who are eligible to be vaccinated should not be turned away,” Ekuka said in response to the LC3 of Awaliwal, Peter Ebau, who reported some children being turned away because their parents didn’t have national identity cards.

Soroti district is targeting to vaccinate over 300,000 people according to Dr Charles Okadhi the district health officer.

He explained that the exercise kicked off well across the district and hoped the exercise would be completed successfully.

The RDC Soroti Salim Komakech being vaccinated as other district leaders and ministry officials look on Tuesday afternoon

Komakech however warned parents against stopping their children from being vaccinated saying such parents shall be arrested.

He noted that some private schools in Soroti had reported that some parents had called them instructing them not to allow their children to be vaccinated. 

Vision Group’s Godfrey Ojore being vaccinated against yellow fever during the launch of the vaccination exercise in Soroti on Tuesday

After taking pictures of the vaccination launch, our journalist also received his jab.