Uganda has received a batch of 12.9 million doses of the Oral Polio Vaccines to facilitate the second round of the house-to-house Polio Vaccination campaign slated to take place in August this year. 

The vaccines were received Tuesday, June 05, at Entebbe International Airport by Dr Alfred Driwale, the Asst. Commissioner for Immunization.

Officials from the ministry of health, UNICEF, World Health Organisation, Centre for Disease Control and the National Medical stores after receiving a consignment of Polio vaccines.

The vaccines are a donation by the American government to the Ugandan Government through CDC. 

The campaign to vaccinate children under the age of five years follows a confirmed outbreak of a new polio variant in the country which was recorded in August last year. 

The variant, which is type 2 vaccine-derived, was found in two samples tested from the Lubigi and Bugolobi Sewerage plants. 

The first round of vaccination took place in December 2021. It targets to inoculate 8.7 million unvaccinated children under the age of 5. 

Dr. Alfred Driwale (right), the Program Manager UNEP who also represented the minister for health, Dr. Medard Bitekyerezo and Dr. Emilio Dirlikov, the CDC representative receiving the vaccine consignment at the National Medical Stores in Entebbe. Photos by Julius Luwemba

In October 2021, Uganda received 10.9 million doses of the vaccine to start its campaign. 

While the country was declared polio-free in 2006, it continues to be under threat of importation of the virus. For instance, in 2009 and 2020 outbreaks were reported in the districts of Bugiri and Mayuge. 

Polio is caused by three viruses called Wild Polio type 1, type 2 and type 3. It is a highly infectious virus that affects children below the age of five. It is transmitted from one person to another through contaminated food and water.   

Vaccines for children have been the most effective strategy to reduce child mortality. 

According to the Ministry of Health, the 2nd round of the Polio vaccination campaign will fully protect children against Polio.