Health Volunteers Step Up Door-to-Door Immunization Efforts

Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) across Kenya are playing a central role in boosting immunization rates by going door‑to‑door to reach children who have missed vital vaccines. During the recent nationwide measles‑rubella and typhoid campaign, CHVs helped mobilize communities in informal settlements — engaging households, dispelling myths, and guiding caregivers to vaccination sites.
Their efforts build on a long‑standing outreach model, especially in hard‑to-reach areas. In Migori County, for instance, CHVs partner with Community Health Assistants and nurses to review mother‑child vaccination cards. They identify defaulters and either bring vaccination services to households or gather children for central-point immunization sessions.In Vihiga County, CHVs carry out regular household mapping to locate under‑immunized children, then ensure they are linked to local vaccination centers.
CHVs’ role extends beyond merely mobilizing households: during the COVID‑19 pandemic, they also provided vaccine education and myth-busting. According to a study in Kilifi and Nairobi, CHVs acted as trusted peers — they were often role models in their communities, which helped normalize vaccination and significantly increased uptake. Their conversations helped address fears around side effects and misinformation.
Going forward, health authorities are planning to expand digital support for these volunteers. Under a recent pilot led by the WHO, CHVs used mobile phones to record door‑to‑door campaign data in real time, boosting accountability and streamlining immunization tracking. Public health experts believe that scaling this approach — combining trusted community outreach with digital tools — could help Kenya close persistent immunization gaps, especially in underserved areas.