Uganda carries out polio vaccination in areas affected by previous Ebola outbreak

A child receiving polio vaccine. [AP Photo]

Uganda has rolled out a polio vaccination exercise in districts affected by the Ebola outbreak, which was contained early this month.

The Ministry of Health said the 10-day exercise targeting children aged five years and below started on Friday in Mubende, Mityana, Kampala, Wakiso, Kassanda and Mukono districts.

These areas missed the nationwide exercise last November when the country was battling the Ebola outbreak.

In the Central District of Wakiso, Dorothy Asiimwe, the community health officer said the exercise was going on smoothly and many parents had taken their children for immunisation.

Simon Lutwama, who brought his three-year-old daughter for vaccination, said he supported the exercise because he wanted to ensure that all children were free from polio.

Uganda in August last year reported a polio outbreak in the country after samples from faecal matter collected in the capital Kampala tested positive.

The country was certified polio-free in October 2006 by the World Health Organisation after having reported no indigenous polio cases for 10 years.

Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus mainly affecting children under five.