COVID 19 RESPONSE
VACCINE HESITATION MITIGATION PROJECT
The COVID-19 vaccine is now available at select health facilities in Kisii County. The goal of our education efforts is to increase vaccine acceptance and improve vaccination rates in the project area and county. Our goal was to reach 80% of the adult population with messaging about the COVID-19 vaccine and to vaccinate 80%. We also aimed to vaccinate 100% of Community Health Volunteers, clan elders, promoters, Care Group Volunteers, and traditional birth attendants.
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Through one-on-one conversations with households, our Community Health Volunteers helped to address myths and concerns around COVID-19 vaccination. We were also able to collaborate with community leaders and various media outlets to combat these concerns and encourage residents to get vaccinated.
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Community Health Volunteers sought to visit the households in 94 villages and also targeted gathering places where they were able to disseminate information, particularly to the older population (over 50). Using the Care Group training cascade, KIKOP reached pregnant mothers and mothers of children under 2 with recently developed lessons on COVID-19 and vaccine acceptance.
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Because of our vaccine initiative, 69% of household representatives in the catchments of Matongo, Iranda and Nyagoto accepted the vaccination after the first visit, with 68% receiving both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
TESTIMONIALS
"Thank you KIKOP for bringing
the vaccine at the community
level. Most people are old and
could not reach the facility to get the vaccine. We appreciate
KIKOP's effort because many
people are now taking the
vaccine."
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-Community Member
"We thank KIKOP for bringing the vaccine to Nyanguru primary
school. Most of us wanted the
vaccine, but we were not able to
travel to the facilities. So thanks
to KIKOP for remembering us."
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- Nyanguru Primary School Staff Member
A neighbour woman recieved a vaccine at Geteri village Iranda catchment. She mentioned that women in her group fear death after the vaccine. However, she says she will testify good health after the vaccine to other women in her group. She hopes they will all agree to be vaccinated.