Children get single dose vaccine

Oct 14, 2001

More than 15% of blood from donors at the blood bank, tests positive to hepatitis B

By Kikonyogo Ngatya The Ministry of Health is introducing a new single dose vaccine for five major childhood killer diseases so that mothers do not have to frequent health centres for immunisation. The combined vaccine covers Hepatitis B and type B meningitis, which have previously not been included in the routine immunisation programmes. Dr Issa Makumbi, assistant commissioner in charge of immunisation said the vaccine, code-named Pentavalent, would be used against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B and type B meningitis. “The new vaccine is not replacing the DPT vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus, which is being widely used in immunisation against the diseases,” he said. “We realise that most parents or guardians find it difficult to frequent health facilities to immunise their children against the different killer immunisable diseases. We hope the five-in-one dosage will help solve this problem,’ he added. The project is being sponsored by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) and worth US$50m for the next five years. Makumbi told an international GAVI delegates conference on the increment of immunisation levels in East and Southern Africa in Entebbe recently, that the vaccine would help significantly fight the type B meningitis and Hepatitis B infections. It would be given three times to children at six, 10 and 14 weeks old. He said Ugandan children were at a high risk of contracting hepatitis B,(mother-to-child transmission at birth), which is associated with liver cancer. More than 15% of the blood from donors analysed at Nakasero blood bank test positive to the virus. He said that other surveys by UNEPI also established that Hepatitis B was widely prevalent among the population. Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by a virus called Hepatitis B. It is 100 times more infectious than HIV, according to US based Centre for Disease Control reports. Experts said in Entebbe that most people who suffer from the disease recover, but a few become chronic carriers with increased risk of serious problems later, such as chronic liver disease and cancer. Makumbi said that hepatitis B was the only sexually transmitted disease that could be prevented with a vaccine. However, the campaign against it had not sufficiently picked up in Uganda. It can be contracted through blood transfusion and sexual intercourse. Medical workers were more likely to contract the disease from needle pricks. The virus is present in semen and vaginal fluids. Experts said that the virus was able to re-infect another person even even through oral sex and kissing. Makumbi said most Ugandan adolescents, who have several sexual partners, were infected with hepatitis B. Type B meningitis was also associated with severe chest infections, especially among young children. Makumbi said that specialised syringes would be used to limit any chance of infection. He said that the syringes would be imported into the country by the end of this year. Makumbi also said that UNEPI was working on strategies for adult immunisation of hepatitis B to reduce the high prevalence rate. “For now we can only immunise children, but we are in advanced stages of developing measures to protect adults against the disease,” the assistant commissioner added.

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