By Spy Uganda
The Omukama of Tooro Kingdom, His Majesty Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, has launched a five-day Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign, rallying parents and caregivers across the region to ensure that eligible children are protected against the highly infectious diseases.
The campaign was launched on Thursday at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City, with health authorities targeting children aged nine months to below five years.
Speaking during the launch, the Omukama urged parents, guardians and caregivers to take advantage of the exercise and ensure that no eligible child is left behind.
He emphasized the importance of vaccination in protecting children against preventable diseases and encouraged families to act promptly by taking their children to designated vaccination centres during the five-day campaign.
The Omukama also called upon the media to intensify public awareness about the exercise, stressing the need for parents and caregivers to receive accurate information about vaccination points, schedules and other relevant campaign details.
His appeal comes as health authorities and their partners step up efforts to strengthen immunisation coverage and reach children in communities across the Tooro region.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause serious complications, particularly among young children. Rubella is generally mild in children but can pose significant risks during pregnancy, including harm to an unborn baby.
Health officials are therefore encouraging families with children within the targeted age group to visit designated vaccination points and have them vaccinated during the campaign period.
The launch at Karuziika Palace also demonstrated the role cultural institutions can play in supporting public health initiatives by mobilising communities and encouraging families to participate in national health programmes.
The involvement of the Tooro Kingdom leadership is expected to boost awareness of the campaign and encourage wider participation across communities.
The Omukama urged families throughout Tooro to embrace the vaccination exercise and work with health workers to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Parents and caregivers have been advised to seek information from health workers and local health facilities on designated vaccination points in their communities.
With the exercise running for five days, families have been encouraged not to wait until the final days of the campaign but to ensure that eligible children receive the vaccine within the designated period.
