There was some spectacular news on September 8th 2022 about the success of a the Malaria Vaccine trials. It has the potential to save countless lives of children.
One hurdle will be to get the vaccine into the arms of the infants who need it. This will not only be about availability, but about people’s knowledge and understanding of the lifesaving qualities of immunisation.
Children can be mobilised as immunisation activists – checking if they have been vaccinated, asking if their siblings have been vaccinated, finding out when and where vaccinations take place, even campaigning for vaccinations.
Some children we know in India were involved in these activities, and not only did they make a difference in their own families, but later they became parents all too aware of the need and urgency to get vaccinations done for their own children. This as a result of having done real campaigning on this real issue.
Here is a sample plan for educators to adapt on the topic of immunisation. It’s an extract from our toolkit for educators cocreated by teachers and children in Mozambique.
To make sure that all the children in our community know what immunisation is and how immunisation helps prevent diseases.
These are examples only – let the children come up with their own ideas! (These will go in the text boxes.)
My own actions
My actions for others
Our actions for others
Questions for children to reflect on their action plan