Malaria and COVID-19 Are No match for VL Mozambique

This week’s Fist Bump goes out to VL Mozambique. During its training of seasonal workers for the spray campaign, the project, in coordination with the Ministry of Health (MOH), vaccinated seasonal workers against COVID-19.

VL Mozambique planned to vaccinate 1,266 people, covering Spray Operators, Team Leaders, and Base Supervisors, but the MOH had more vaccines available enabling other staff like Storekeepers, Washers, and Guards to also get the vaccine. Ultimately, 1,496 people were vaccinated

This effort was not without its challenges. One myth surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine was that those vaccinated will die within one year after vaccination. Four people did not want the vaccine and opted out of the spray campaign activities if others were going to be vaccinated. These issues were addressed through sensitization. The VL full-time staff showed that they were fully vaccinated and were alive and okay. The national COVID-19 awareness team was also essential in helping convince seasonal workers to get the vaccine. They showed the reality of COVID-19 by providing daily statistics shared by the MOH, informing the workers of the number of infections and deaths, and how getting vaccinated is needed to reduce those statistics

These vaccinations would not have been able to occur without the project’s collaboration with the MOH, especially the Provincial Directorate of Health, who provided the vaccines in all districts.

Job well done, VL Mozambique! It’s great seeing this collaboration to fight not one, but two diseases!