Rollout

Synopsis

“Rollout“ is a vérité-style journey alongside residents of a tight-knit Kenyan community gripped by the “shadow pandemic of vaccine hesitancy,” as they face mounting pressure from a government they don’t trust, to get a vaccine they suspect may cause more harm than good.

The story is anchored by keen observations from Laureen - a mother and immunization nurse in Kibera, East Africa’s largest informal settlement - as she grapples with her own personal decision to get the Covid-19 vaccine. As she weighs her options and manages misinformation-fueled doubts about whether the jab is safe for baby and herself, she must also carry out her Ministry of Health mandate to administer the vaccine to fellow Kibera residents.

As rollout efforts expand across the county, Laureen and fellow healthcare workers visit with a colorful cast of community members - from a church pastor to a radio DJ - that share their perspectives on the vaccination efforts. Through their stories, we feel their visceral mistrust, seemingly sparked by the government’s deeply unpopular and aggressive early pandemic response, and further fueled by a relentless flood of misinformation and conspiracy theories. We also hear reference to the deeper historical context that further exacerbates this mistrust, namely the fraught relationship between community members and global health actors, and a global vaccination agenda designed by global elites that disregard the needs of Kibera's residents.

By hearing from Laureen and her neighbors, we begin to see a vivid picture of the powerful and complex narratives and lived experiences driving the “shadow pandemic of vaccine hesitancy,” that stubbornly persists today, despite targeted efforts by the WHO and COVAX. As of November 2022, Kenya's population is currently <20% vaccinated, despite the UN goal of 70% vaccination by September of this year.