Five arrested for preventing children from vaccination

Five people have been arrested in Uganda after they were found hiding their children to avoid the measles, rubella and polio mass vaccination programme.

The authorities are hoping to immunise 18 million children under the age of 15 over the next four days.

The parents were arrested from their homes in the Eastern Uganda district of Kamuli after health officials were informed of their resistance to the vaccinations.

The government has said that anyone found trying to prevent their children from being vaccinated will be detained, in line with the sanctions outlined in the Immunisation Act.