Free Hepatitis B Vaccination Begins In Gulu

By Abalo Irene Otto

A free Hepatitis B vaccination has begun in Gulu, the district health officer Dr Robert Ongom announced at a press conference at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) offices in Gulu on Thursday.

The Hepatitis B vaccines is from the Ministry of Health, said Dr Ongom. The free vaccination exercise is meant to curb rampant cases of the disease in northern Uganda and West Nile.

Dr Ongom said the vaccination will also involve a screening exercise for those from 14 years and above. The screening, said Dr Ongom said, will take place at designated health facilities.

In Gulu Municipality, Aywe Health Centre III, Bardege Health Centre III, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and St Mary’s Hospital Lacor have been designated as the health facilities where Hepatitis B shots can be got.

Outside of the municipality, screening and vaccination will take place at Health Centre III, IV and health facilities nearest to them at the sub county level.

The Gulu district health officer said the designated health facilities were chosen because they have testing kits in their laboratories.

The Gulu district health authorities have said the vaccines will come at no cost and urged members of the public to test and vaccinate against the viral disease.

At private health facilities in Kampala, a single dose of Hepatitis B goes for between 90,000- 300, 000 shilling while in up country clinics like Gulu it’s from 30,000-90,000 shillings.

Until recently, the hepatitis B vaccine has only been free in government health facilities for medical personnel and children under five years.

Sarah Opendi, the Primary Health Care minister has recently said that 2.7 billion shillings had been earmarked by the Government for the vaccination exercise in districts most affected by Hepatitis B especially in northern Uganda and West Nile.