Mpox: Sex workers prioritised as over 3,000 Kampala residents vaccinated
The Incident commander for Mpox disease in Kampala, Dr Richard Walyomu said focus has been put on commercial sex workers because they are the key drivers of the infection.
A health worker displaying mpox vaccine during the vaccination exercise on Saturday, February, 01. (Photos by Nicholas Kajoba)
NewVision Reporter
@NewVision
A total of 3,284 people have been vaccinated against mpox in the Kampala city suburbs of Kawempe and Makindye.
The development is part of the five-day vaccination drive that kicked off on Saturday to tame the spread of mpox in the country.
Mpox, previously known as monkeypox, is a viral disease caused by an orthopoxvirus called monkeypox virus. It spreads mainly through close contact with someone who has the disease causing a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. The disease can make people very sick, leaving them with scars.
The Incident commander for Mpox disease in Kampala, Dr Richard Walyomu said focus has been put on commercial sex workers because they are the key drivers of the infection.
Breaking it down, on Saturday, a total of 412 commercial sex workers were vaccinated in Kawempe while 498 people received the vaccine in Makindye division.
On Sunday, a team of health workers conducted three outreaches; two sessions were done during day in Kawempe where a total of 642 people were vaccinated, and in Makindye division benefiting 359 people.
The third outreach was conducted at night–moonlight clinic in Makindye and a total of 50 commercial sex workers were vaccinated against the disease.
On Monday, an additional 811 people got vaccinated in Kawempe and 512 people from Makindye division.
Walyomu noted that although initially, the focus was on vaccinating only commercial sex workers, later on Sunday they involved men who regularly engage in sexual contact with commercial workers.
Mpox vaccine donation
On January 23, 2025, Uganda received a consignment of 10,000 MVA-BA vaccine, an allocation from the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The MVA-BA which is a two-dose regimen with the US FDA approval is recommended for use in adults.
The two doses are given in an interval of eight months from the time one received the first dose, said the manager expanded programme on immunisation (UNEPI), Dr Michael Baganizi.
Walyomu said all the mpox doses that Uganda received have been allocated for Kampala metropolitan area given that divisions are registering a high number of Mpox new cases.
The development comes after almost 365,000 doses of the Bavarian Nordic's MVA-BA vaccine were delivered to the DRC's capital, Kinshasa, as part of a European Union donation programme on September 5, 2024.
Challenges
Walyomu highlighted the challenge of commercial sex workers making sexual advances (seducing) towards health workers because they seek vaccination services while drunk.
He, however, said they are doing everything possible to ensure the health workers are safe while on duty.
A team of health workers registering a woman before vaccinating her against Mpox on Saturday, February 01. 
In addition, sex workers are hard to mobilise since they are drunk all the time, and it is worse at night. It is for this reason they decided to conduct vaccination exercises at night (moonlight clinic).
In addition, the vaccination sites have no latrines or places of convenience which makes work difficult for health workers.
DRC where Mpox is endemic (part of their disease profile) has registered the largest number of infected people. More than 22,000 suspect cases, with more than 1,200 suspected deaths, have been reported in DRC since January 1, 2023, a substantial increase from the median 3,767 suspect clade I mpox cases reported annually in DRC during 2016–2021.
What experts say
Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) executive director Prof. Pontianco Kaleebu described the MVA-BN vaccine as good and safe, consequently, it will protect those at risk.
Kalebu said although MVA-BN vaccine has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for adults, researchers at the Uganda Virus Research Institute plan to conduct clinical studies among children.
The clinical geneticist, immunologist, and virologist at Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Dr Misaki Wayegera, urged the people at risk of contracting mpox to go and receive the vaccine.
“We have so many outbreaks happening to us we cannot be fighting all the time,” Wayengera said.
Transmission of Mpox
Mpox virus is found in wild animals such as squirrels, rats, mice, and monkeys and can spread to human beings. It takes five to 21 days for the infected person to develop signs and symptoms, also termed as incubation period.
Mpox spreads through contact with an infected person, through touch, kissing, or sexual intercourse.
You can also contract the disease by sharing contaminated sheets, clothes, bedding and sharp instruments for example needles.
Infected pregnant women can pass the virus on to their unborn baby.
Mpox burden
The cumulative number of confirmed Mpox cases in Uganda has risen to 2,479, according to the national mpox situation report dated January 28, 2025.
The same report says 552 new mpox cases were reported within 14 days, while the number of people who have succumbed to the virus has risen to 16.
Notably, the disease has continued to spread across the country covering 83 districts.
Districts with the highest number of mpox cases, include Kampala, Luwero, Mbarara city, Mukono, Nakasongola and Wakiso.
Background
On August 14, 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Mpox a public health emergency of international concern. This was the second time in two years that reclassified Mpox to this highest level of response.
The global alert was preceded by a declaration by the African CDC on August 13, 2024, recognizing Mpox as a public health emergency of continental security. These declarations underline the seriousness of the situation and the need for concerted efforts to curb the spread of the disease.