Pader launches measles-rubella vaccination campaign amid reported cases

1 October 2026, 10:34 pm

By Geoffrey Okwong

Pader District has launched a five-day measles-rubella vaccination campaign targeting children aged nine months to 59 months, amid reports of measles cases in the district.

The campaign, which started today and runs until October 5, is part of a nationwide exercise aimed at reaching eligible children and preventing further spread of the disease.

Christine Limio, Principal Nursing Officer at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and the centre supervisor for the campaign in Pader District, said health teams have enough measles vaccines and materials to conduct the exercise.

She urged parents and caretakers to bring all eligible children for immunisation.

Limio said measles outbreaks had been reported in several districts, including Gulu, Amuru and Pader, warning that the disease could spread if children are not protected.

She said measles can cause serious complications, including eye problems that may lead to blindness, brain damage, breathing difficulties and pneumonia.

Children vaccinated during the campaign will be issued immunisation cards, which Limio said would serve as identification for the exercise.

She added that health teams would conduct door-to-door follow-up after the vaccination exercise to identify eligible children who may have missed the campaign.

At Pader Health Centre III, registered nurse Scovia Aciro said the facility was registering between seven and nine measles cases, with the majority of the reported cases coming from Pader Town Council.

Aciro called for cooperation from parents and community members to prevent further infections.

The campaign has also been taken to nursery schools, where health workers are vaccinating eligible children.

At Mt Zion Nursery School, headteacher Alice Adong welcomed the vaccination team and said the school had organised children to participate in the exercise.

Adong said the nursery section has about 150 children, although some had not yet reported to school.

She urged parents who may be hesitant about government vaccination programmes to allow their children to receive the vaccine, saying immunisation is important for children’s health.

At Jireh Nursery School, headteacher Jennifer Lakot said the school had mobilised parents ahead of the exercise through class teachers and direct engagement.

Lakot thanked the district local government for bringing the programme closer to the community and encouraged parents to support the vaccination exercise.

She urged parents seeking clarification about the vaccination programme to approach the school for more information.

Community members have also encouraged parents to participate in the campaign.

Mercy Grace Acan, a resident of Kalalo West Ward in Luna Parish, Pader Town Council, urged parents to personally take their children for vaccination or arrange for another responsible person to take them if they are unable to do so.

Acan said parents should not allow their children to miss the measles-rubella vaccine, stressing the importance of immunisation in protecting children.

The campaign targets children aged nine months to 59 months across the country, with health teams expected to continue mobilising parents and caretakers throughout the five-day exercise.