Officials warn Masaka schools on Hepatitis B vaccination

What you need to know:

In March, the Ministry of Health halted private players from administering Hepatitis B vaccination and testing after some private health facilities were feared to offer fake vaccines to the desperate Ugandans.
After investigations, it was discovered that the vaccines were genuine, but with falsified labelling.
Mr Emmanuel Ainebyoona, the ministry’s senior spokesperson, said private players can offer the service after thorough scrutiny.

Kampala. Masaka District health authorities have warned school heads against unscrupulous individuals who approach them to offer Hepatitis B testing and vaccination services.
In a September 17 letter addressed to the school heads, Dr Stuart Musisi, the district health officer, said they have learnt that some unauthorised businessmen move around schools vaccinating pupils, students and staff.
“Facilities to offer Hepatitis B testing and vaccination should have been inspected and certified to provide the service,” the letter, a copy of which this newspaper has seen, reads in part.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic liver disease.

The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
Common symptoms include liver pain, dark urine, pale-coloured stool, appetite loss, feeling tired, nausea and itching all over the body.
Dr Musisi said he is the only one in the district to provide the authorisation certificate to individuals or private facilities found with the minimum requirements for testing and administering Hepatitis B vaccines.

Exclusion
He also warned primary school head teachers against vaccinating pupils since they are not eligible because they were already immunised against the disease during government’s routine immunisation programme.
The district has 280 and 60 primary and secondary schools, respectively.
Mr Jackson Ssengendo, the head teacher of Kako Secondary School, said they have an arrangement with Norvik Hospital, Kampala, to immunise students and staff against Hepatitis B, adding that they will seek clearance from the district health department.

“We know the procedure and we will follow all the processes before we roll out Hepatitis B vaccination exercise at the school,” Mr Ssengendo said. According to the ministry of Health, it is estimated that 3.5 million people in Uganda are infected with the Hepatitis B virus. However, one million of those infected are chronically ill.