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Community Conversations on Vaccines, Episode 4

Kenya

September 28, 2021
Podcast
Podcast

Kenyan health workers Dorothy Logedi and Margaret Odera discuss the unique challenges COVID-19 has posed to themselves and their community.

Presented by Immunization Advocates, Community Conversations on Vaccines explores issues related to vaccines and immunization in low- and middle-income countries through interviews with close-to-community professionals, including health workers, journalists and researchers.

In this episode, we are joined by Dorothy Logedi, a nurse and coordinator of a vaccine program in Migori County, and Margaret Odera, a community health worker and mentor mother to women living with HIV in the capital Nairobi’s Mathare slum. Vince Blaser and Francesca Montalto talk to Dorothy and Margaret about the unique challenges the pandemic has posed to themselves, their community and their country, and how they are helping to increase COVID-19 and routine vaccine uptake in their communities.

Full transcript (English)

Learn more about Dorothy and Margaret in the resources below.

Act Now For Health Workers!

In a video for the Frontline Health Workers Coalition, Margaret Odera urges government leaders to support health workers as they continue to fight COVID-19 in their communities.

Scenes from COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts in Awendo, Kenya

Dorothy Logedi offers a glimpse into COVID-19 vaccination efforts in Awendo sub county, Kenya, where she is the EPI logistician.

Image courtesy of Dorothy Logedi

Logedi administers the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19. "We are crying because the distribution of vaccines is not equitable," she said.

Image courtesy of Dorothy Logedi

Logedi assists with the installation of the cold chain storage for the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Image courtesy of Dorothy Logedi

"Everybody should be vaccinated, so that the whole world can get herd immunity, and we see way forward," Logedi said.

About Our Guests

Dorothy Logedi
My name is Dorothy Mmbone Logedi, a female from Kenya. I have 20 years working in the field of immunization. I have worked in various health facilities, private, faith-based and government facilities and am currently heading immunization program at the sub-county level. I have spent five years coordinating the program. I hold a diploma in nursing from Kenya Medical Training (Nyeri campus) and first degree (undergraduate) in community health development at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University (Bondo). I have passion and I enjoy working in a maternal-child health clinic, where I both serve the child with immunization and meet the family planning needs of the mother. I use the opportunity of the mother or caretaker to pass the information on the importance of immunization and completing the immunization schedule and also advise the mothers to space their pregnancy through family planning. I extend the awareness to the community through community volunteers, on communication skills on how to address myths and conception on vaccines to increase MCH SERVICES and increase immunization coverage and reduce defaulters. I am involved in the rollout of new vaccines, training of health care workers, management of cold chain and vaccine management and viewing data for decision making at sub-county.
Dorothy Logedi
Margaret Odera
Margaret Odera is a community health worker and a trained mentor mother, reporting to Mathare North health center near where she lives in Nairobi, Kenya. She mentors HIV positive mothers on EMTCT, positive living and other health concerns. In her role, she sensitizes, mobilizes, follows up, conducts referrals and does linkeages from community to facility. Margaret has lived with HIV for 21 years, and is married with three sons who are HIV negative. Her husband is HIV negative.
Margaret Odera