Vaccinating Laos, One Village at a Time
UNICEF boosts COVID-19 vaccine awareness in Lao PDR's remote areas, urging higher vaccination rates.
Walking with a bent back and barefooted, 91 year-old Pery makes her way to a local primary school in her village of Kok Bok on a Sunday morning.
Shimmering under the bright and sultry sky, several figures were waiting for her there. Near them lay small blue boxes. Inside them are vials of COVID-19 vaccines.
“My sons are out working in the fields today so I came here by myself,” explained Pery. “I’m getting my first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.”
Arriving at this decision was a delicate process for Pery, involving an open discussion between herself and health workers. She was initially concerned about getting vaccinated because of her age and health condition but, after sharing her concerns with the health workers, she was reassured that the vaccines are safe.
As the oldest person in her village, Pery’s decision to come to the school today, where local health authorities are conducting a community orientation session on COVID-19 vaccines and giving out vaccination against COVID-19 free-of-charge, is an especially important one – one that will help build greater trust in vaccines and keep her entire community safe.
Bridging the Gap
Pery and most of the people of her village belong to the Taoy ethnic group who have their own language and customs. Most of them do not speak Lao and communication between health workers and the villagers can be difficult at times.
Acting as the bridge between local health authorities and people of ethnic background like Pery is Momm, a nurse working at the Kok Bok health centre. Having just helped deliver a baby the previous night, Momm was visibly tired. Nevertheless, she was eager to take part in the orientation session to share information about vaccines with the community.
Momm notes how it is important everyone in villages like Kok Bok play a role in ensuring vaccine rates improve.
“In the village, the women usually stay at home while the men go out to work. Men have more opportunities to interact with the outside world and because of that, the men can often speak and understand Lao more than the women here,” Momm explained.
In more traditional areas such as these, women often must seek permission from men to receive vaccinations. As such, for now at least, if men aren’t reached with the potentially life-saving information nurse Momm is delivering, it’s less likely women will be reached and vaccinated.
With the support of health workers like Momm, UNICEF is organising community orientation on COVID-19 throughout Lao PDR among remote communities like Kok Bok village, located in Taoy district of Saravanh province. The orientation includes focus group discussions with community members and health workers, information session on COVID-19 and routine childhood vaccines, alongside games and trivia about them to test the community member’s knowledge.
Through these activities, UNICEF is reaching out to families and community members like Pery, reassuring them of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and improving their understanding of its benefits.
The activities are currently being implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Ministry of Health and with financial and technical support from DFAT Australia and USAID, targeting five districts throughout Saravanh, Savannakhet and Sekong provinces where COVID-19 and routine immunization rates remain low.
