Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash (illustrative)
Between 10 and 16 April 2025, Uganda vaccinated more than 4.2 million people against yellow fever in 19 districts in the east of the country, WHO reported on 30 May 2025. The campaign reached 92% of the people it aimed to protect, in a border region where confirmed cases had appeared earlier in the year.
Key facts
The campaign vaccinated 4,223,862 people aged 9 months to 60 years, out of a target of 4,635,913.
Across all phases of Uganda's preventive campaigns, more than 25.8 million people have now been protected, in 123 of the country's 146 districts.
Six yellow fever cases had been confirmed in the eastern region by late March 2025.
Before the campaign, national yellow fever vaccine coverage was about 39%.
Why it matters
Between 30% and 60% of people who develop severe yellow fever die, yet a single vaccine dose provides lifelong immunity. Mass campaigns like this one are central to the global strategy to Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics, supported by Gavi, UNICEF and WHO.
Worth noting
Coverage was uneven, and at least one district fell below the 80% threshold. Thousands of people cross the busy Uganda-Kenya border every day, and coverage on the Kenyan side is far lower, so the risk of imported cases remains.