KAMPALA, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Uganda has started a mass yellow fever vaccination exercise in the eastern part of the country after six confirmed cases were reported, a health official said.

The exercise, which started Thursday, targets 4.3 million people in 19 districts, said Fred Nsubuga, senior medical officer at the Uganda National Expanded Program on Immunization.

Nsubuga told Xinhua that the vaccination campaign, which is being held at designated schools and health facilities, covers children and adults aged 12 months to 60 years.

Rachael Nakawala, a nurse in Kaliro district, said immunization has started in some schools in the district.

"We have started Thursday with vaccination of some pupils in some designated schools," she told Xinhua. "We shall visit more schools tomorrow and later health centers for a period of six days."

Yellow fever is a serious infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes that bite mostly during the day, according to the World Health Organization.

Symptoms include fever, yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, abdominal pain with vomiting, and bleeding that can occur from the mouth, nose, eyes, or stomach. Enditem

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