Every day, millions of women go above and beyond to protect children from diseases like typhoid. From health care workers and nurses to scientists, researchers, and more, there is no shortage of child health and vaccination heroes to celebrate on International Women’s Day.
Priscah Muga, a vaccinator who works in Uasin Gishu county, Kenya, is one of these incredible women. Priscah has worked as a vaccinator for 15 years, providing routine immunization services and supporting outreach activities to ensure children and communities receive lifesaving vaccines.
For Priscah, the chance to protect children from preventable diseases was a key motivation for entering the health care field. “Immunization offers one of the most effective ways to save lives, and I wanted to contribute directly to protecting communities,” she said. “I love interacting with children most of the time.”
Protecting hundreds of children from typhoid
In July 2025, Priscah contributed to Kenya’s landmark campaign to introduce typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCV) across the country. The campaign reached 16.7 million children aged 9 months to 15 years with TCV, as well as 5.4 million children aged 9 months to 5 years with measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.
I am most proud of contributing to improved immunization coverage through outreach services, supporting successful vaccine introduction campaigns, and helping reduce missed opportunities for vaccination. Being part of initiatives aligned with the Kenya Expanded Programme on Immunization and seeing positive health outcomes in communities remains my greatest achievement.
— Priscah Muga, vaccinator
The campaign was an enormous undertaking, and vaccinators like Priscah worked tirelessly to reach as many children as possible. In one day, she vaccinated 700 children in Uasin Gishu county. It was a “proud and memorable experience,” Priscah recalled. Vaccination teams remained undaunted, even when heavy rains made it difficult to reach certain communities. In some areas, health workers traveled by canoe or navigated muddy terrain to ensure no child was left behind. “It was fulfilling to witness high community acceptance and to know we were protecting children against typhoid fever,” Priscah said.
Photos: Priscah’s fellow vaccinators traveled by boat to reach children at Madua Primary School in Busia County, Kenya, during the country’s integrated TCV introduction and MR campaign. Credit: Penina Onyango.
“Prevention today safeguards the future”
The work of Priscah, and the countless other women who contributed to Kenya’s TCV introduction, is invaluable. TCV is highly effective against typhoid, which causes more than 81,000 cases and more than 750 deaths in Kenya each year—the majority in children younger than 15 years of age. Introducing TCVs, which are now available for all Kenyan children as part of the routine immunization program, is expected to ease the burden of typhoid on children and families and help slow the spread of drug-resistant strains.
“What inspires me most is seeing healthy children grow and knowing that prevention today safeguards the future,” Priscah said. “The trust communities place in vaccinators motivates me to continue serving with dedication and compassion.”
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the countless women who have helped reach nearly 150 million children across the globe with TCVs through introduction campaigns and millions more in ten countries where TCV is part of routine immunization. Their efforts are a reminder that when women are supported and empowered, the future of disease prevention becomes brighter for every child.
Cover photo: During Kenya’s TCV introduction campaign in July 2025, Priscah Muga vaccinated 700 children in one day in Uasin Gishu county. Credit: Ruth Wanjala.
