Meena Thapa says her daughter’s disability had made it difficult to take her anywhere, including to the health facility for vaccination. This was one of the reasons the now 10-year-old Deepshika from Nepalgunj had not received the measles-rubella vaccine when she was met by a team from the Behavioral Science Center (BSC), as part of their household outreach work in the wake of the recent measles outbreak in Banke.
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The BSC was established by the Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences (KUSMS) in collaboration with UNICEF-Nepal and JSl in 2022, to understand and address behavioral and social drivers affecting immunization in communities.
Following a personal counselling session where Meena was informed about the dangers that measles pose to unvaccinated children, and a discussion about how vaccines contribute to children’s health and futures, the young mother was persuaded to take both her girls to get the vaccine.
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Meena says that she is glad she made the effort for her children, and feels that she understands the importance of immunization better.
(Source-UNICEF NEPAL)