Yaounde, July 25 : Cameroon began immunising children and adults against yellow fever in the commercial hub of Douala as part of preventive response intervention after confirmation of cases.

The vaccination campaign, which will run until July 30, is carried out free of charge in all the nine health districts of Douala, said Cameroon's Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The campaign comes at a time marked by an upsurge in confirmed cases and deaths of yellow fever since 2023 in our country. The situation as described, confirms an epidemic in urban areas with a very high risk of international spread," Manaouda said in a statement announcing the vaccination program.

The campaign targets children and adults aged between 9 months to 60 years except pregnant women, women breastfeeding infants under 9 months, and severely ill individuals.

"A single dose of the vaccine provides lifelong immunity," Manaouda added.

Yellow fever, an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, poses a significant public health threat. Characterised by symptoms such as fever, headache, jaundice, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, the disease can lead to severe complications, with approximately half of the patients succumbing within seven to 10 days, according to the World Health Organisation.

/IANS