Uganda to start next phase of mpox vaccination with 100,000 additional doses

Kampala, April 1
Uganda has received an additional 100,000 doses of the mpox vaccine from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) to support the next phase of its prevention campaign, said a senior health official on Monday.

Henry Kyobe Bosa, incident commander at the Ministry of Health, told Xinhua via telephone that the vaccines will be distributed to areas with the highest transmission rates of the mpox virus, with young adults aged 25 to 35 being prioritised in the next round of vaccination.

According to the Ministry of Health, the upcoming phase of the vaccination campaign will focus on high-risk areas in the capital of Kampala, including Rubaga, Nakawa, and Central divisions. The campaign will also cover key districts in central Uganda, such as Mukono, Wakiso, Buvuma, Nakasongola, and Masaka, as well as the western districts of Mbarara and Hoima.

Uganda launched its first round of mpox vaccination campaign in February, targeting high-risk populations, including individuals engaged in commercial sex work, bar attendants, commuter taxi drivers, commercial motorcyclists, and roadside vendors in the Kawempe and Makindye divisions of Kampala.

During this initial phase, the country vaccinated 10,000 individuals in the most affected districts, according to the Ministry of Health.

Uganda confirmed the outbreak of mpox last August and has since recorded 4,810 laboratory-confirmed cases and 37 deaths. Most of the deceased had underlying health conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, and diabetes.

Last week, the World Health Organisation warned that Uganda currently has the highest number of community-transmitted mpox cases globally. "The country is experiencing community transmission, and the weekly national case count has been increasing steadily over time," it said.

In response, Ugandan health authorities have intensified surveillance, case management, and public awareness efforts to curb the spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. It spreads through close contact and presents symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, muscle aches, skin rash, and back pain.