In response to the resurgence of the epidemic in the Littoral Region, the Minister of Health has announced the launch of a free of charge mass vaccination campaign.

Cameroon is experiencing an increase in positive cases of the yellow fever disease. The Ministry of Public Health recently reported confirmed cases and deaths from yellow fever since 2023. The government has thus taken a number of measures to prevent the spread of this epidemic. These include vector control, surveillance at entry points and boosting herd immunity through mass single-dose vaccination.

The vaccination campaign will start on 24 July and end on 30 July 2024. It targets children and adults between the ages of 09 and 60, with the exception of pregnant women, women breastfeeding children under the age of 09, and people who are seriously ill. The operation will mainly target people living in the city of Douala (Bangue, Boko, Bonassama, Cité des Palmiers, Deido, Japoma, Logbaba, New-Bell and Nylon).

Classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a high-risk country for yellow fever, Cameroon has seen an increase in positive cases of the disease since 2021, with 45 cases in 2021, 41 in 2022 and 63 in 2023. By the end of 2023, 26 of the country’s 200 health districts were in an epidemic situation, with 35 confirmed cases and 5 deaths, representing a case fatality rate of 14.3%, according to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).