UPDF Chieftaincy of Medical Services (CMS) in conjunction with Ministry of Health (MOH) and World Health Organization (WHO) has rolled-out a grand plan to vaccinate UPDF troops operating in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and those along the border with DRC against Ebola virus disease.
This is part of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) response contingency plan and the Vaccination campaign will be launched at Mountain Division headquarters based at Muhoti Barracks on 19th August 2022.
Maj Gen Dr Ambrose Musinguzi, CMS in UPDF confirmed the vaccination campaign to UPDF serving in operation Shujaa at the closure of a 5-day training for trainers for 15 mountain division health workers in Fort Portal.
This follows another training for 30 divisional health workers in rapid response to control any outbreak of infectious diseases in the region which was conducted the previous week.
Musinguzi confirmed that Merck vaccine for Ebola Zaire is 100% effective and safe to the end users.
“The Vaccine to be applied which is from Merck is 100% effective. We have used it before in Uganda not only to health workers but also in districts of Kasese and Bundibugyo and in some units of UPDF. In all we did not notice any serious adverse effects,” Musinguzi said
He further noted that the focus is to vaccinate UPDF operating in Eastern DRC who are at a high risk, and those operating in the rear.
“For FARDC, WHO representative in Congo in collaboration with government of DRC should also consider getting the Vaccine because the few dozes got from Geneva were only for UPDF,” he said.
Lt Col Dr. Henry Kyobe Bbosa, the UPDF epidemiologist, and the current Incident Commander on Covid-19, Monkey Pox and Ebola Viral Disease, said UPDF medical personnel in the division have been trained as Ebola Rapid Response Team and Vaccinators to contain and control the outbreak.
“We have conducted TOT (Training of Trainers) workshop of 30 experts in different areas who are going to train other medical workers in the field who will in turn be conducting case findings, managing alerts and carry out vaccination. We are also to deploy three mobile laboratories to be able to manage any signal case,” noted Bbosa.
He confirmed that there are potentially sporadic unmasked Ebola outbreaks that require contingent measures such that if any of the troops get infected, the rapid response team is able to respond, manage and treat Ebola.
Dr. Annet Kisakye, the WHO Officer in charge of vaccination, revealed that Ebola Zaire Vaccine is effective and was approved by WHO in November 2019.
