The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Entebbe, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Hundreds of people turned up at the Mayor’s Gardens in Entebbe for a free yellow fever vaccination exercise organized by National Medical Stores-NMS. It started on Thursday and will end on Monday.
On Saturday, it was a hustle, and survival for the fittest as people braved the scorching sun and long queues to receive the vaccine.
Sheila Nduhukire, the spokesperson of NMS says this is part of the NMS’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
According to records, 1,500 people were vaccinated on Thursday, 3,000 on Friday.
Felix Oyomriowot, who turned up says that he is happy to receive his jab. He says that since it is free of charge, he made sure his two children, aged 4 and 6 years are also vaccinated.
Sarah Nalule, a resident of Kajjansi, says that she was able to receive the jab with her 2-year-old son.
Labour export companies also took advantage of the free offer and gathered migrant workers to get vaccinated.
The yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for any Ugandan wishing to travel outside Uganda. Normally this vaccination would cost around 50,000 – 100,000 Shillings in private medical facilities.
Yellow fever vaccination is one of the most effective and important means of preventing yellow fever-that is transmitted when an infected mosquito bites someone.
The yellow fever endemic countries in Africa include Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad Congo Brazzaville, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Others are Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali and Mauritania.
The list also has Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, South Sudan, Togo and Uganda.
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