Families enter the health clinic on childhood vaccination day; in the village of Lumuli in the eastern region of Uganda.
Although it is hard to believe, childhood vaccines only arrived in the remote villages of eastern Uganda in recent years. Parents have seen many children paralyzed and die from infectious disease, so they are desperate to protect their children. However, they are also nervous about vaccines as they are still rather new and misconceptions persist.
Mothers wait patiently for their chance to get their children vaccinated at the Lamuli clinic.
Nurse and midwife, Maureen Wandawa, works at the health clinic in Lumuli village and has found a very effective way to show parents they can trust the vaccine. When speaking with waiting mothers in her rural clinic, she invites everyone to come watch her vaccinate her own one-year-old son, Sadat.
Nurse Maureen Wandawa holds her one year old son, Sadat, as she discusses immunization with waiting mothers before administering childhood vaccines.
“Many mothers are afraid of the vaccine, so sometimes I immunize my own son in front of them so they can see that they can trust the vaccine.”
Nurse Maureen Wandawa goes over the paperwork of mother Fiona Kasowole on childhood vaccination day.
Trusted community health workers like Maureen are helping families understand and benefit from the miracle of vaccines. Lumuli village is now a healthier, happier place.
Nurse Maureen Wandawa, left, and nurse Jesca Kyosiimye, put in a log day administering vaccines to the children of Lumuli village so they will be protected from infectious disease.