Uganda to immunize 2.7 million children against polio

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KAMPALA - Uganda is set to immunize over 2.7 million children below the age of five in the eastern part of the country against polio, health ministry officials said, Tuesday.

Michael Baganizi, head of Uganda National Expanded Programme on Immunization, told Xinhua that children in 49 districts of the region would be immunized in a door-to-door exercise to be done from October 3-6.

Baganizi said the exercise aims at stopping the spread of polio which broke out in Mbale, a city in the Eastern region.

Ministry of Health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona called on parents and guardians to ensure that all children aged five and under are vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health public notice states that the first round of house-to-house polio immunization will be launched in Busoga, Bugisu, Bukedi, Teso, Sebei and Karamoja sub-regions for children of five years and below.

Uganda was certified polio-free in October 2006 by the World Health Organization (WHO) after having reported no indigenous cases for 10 years.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus that mainly affects children under five years of age, according to WHO. 

The virus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route and by aerosol droplets.