The Northern Regional Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service is set to vaccinate about 1,69000 people against yellow fever in the coming days.

The immunisation exercise which commenced on Thursday and ends on November 18 will be in 13 districts across the region at designated points and health facilities.

Addressing the press at a short briefing in Tamale, Deputy Director of Public Health, Dr Hilarius Abiwu said they have targeted at vaccinating about 65% of the total population in these districts between the ages of 10 to 60.

This he said will translate to about 1,69000 people. He said these 13 districts are the target because they have not benefited in the previous exercise.

He said yellow fever is a disease that is cause by a virus and transmitted from person to person.

Dr. Abiwu noted that diseases that are caused by virus have no cure adding that there only intervention that science has made available to stop vary infection is through immunisations.

Adding that people who are infected with yellow fever are liable to contruct jaundice resulting in yellow eyes.

He indicated that majority of the people who may get infected by yellow fever may not get severe symptoms but the small number that will develop severe symptoms, about half of them die.

Dr. Abiwu said most parts of Africa and some parts of South America are currently endemic for yellow fever.

The Deputy Director advised that those who have been immunized already should not take part again.