Museveni to launch free malaria vaccinations today
The vaccine will be administered to babies aged six to 18 months. Photo/shutterstock
What you need to know:
- A child will be vaccinated at six months, seven months, and eight months, with a four-week interval between the first and third doses. The fourth dose will be given at 18 months.
President Museveni is set to formally launch the malaria vaccine today, incorporating it into the routine immunisation schedule as the 14th vaccine employed by the government to combat prevalent diseases.
According to the Ministry of Health, following the official launch in Apac District, parents across the country can take their children to nearby public facilities to access free malaria vaccinations, which have been approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Ugandan government scientists.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health, said: "We are introducing the Malaria Vaccine (R21) into the routine immunisation schedule to protect children under five years of age from severe malaria and death." "The vaccine will be administered to babies aged six to 18 months," she announced ahead of today's launch.
Dosage
Each child will receive three doses and a booster dose, bringing the total injections to four to optimise protection against severe malaria, according to the ministry.
A child will be vaccinated at six months, seven months, and eight months, with a four-week interval between the first and third doses. The fourth dose will be given at 18 months.
"In pilot programmes conducted in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, vaccination led to a 13 percent reduction in overall child mortality, and hospitalisations for severe malaria dropped significantly. However, it should be noted that the vaccine should not be used in isolation. A combination of other malaria prevention measures is extremely important for elimination," Dr Aceng said.
According to the Ministry, malaria remains one of Uganda's most pressing public health challenges, with the country among the 11 nations contributing to 70 percent of the global malaria burden.
Malaria cases
In 2024 alone, Uganda recorded more than 10.9 million malaria cases, resulting in 3,582 deaths. Dr Rita Atugonza from the Vaccines and Immunisation Division at the Ministry of Health said the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing severe malaria. She noted that common side effects, like those of other vaccines, include "pain and swelling at the injection site, and fever that subsides within three days."
Information from the ministry also indicates that Uganda established a comprehensive immunisation programme in 1962; however, the Uganda National Expanded Programme for Immunisation began in 1983 with just six vaccines. Over the past 40 years, the portfolio has grown to 14 vaccines, including the malaria vaccine this year.
Some of the vaccine-preventable diseases in the routine immunisation schedule are polio, tuberculosis, tetanus, whooping cough, diphtheria, and measles, among others.
