Large gatherings are prohibited or discouraged to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission within communities, so many countries are considering distributing VAS at the household level or through community-level distribution events. However, in most settings there are not enough trained health professionals available to distribute VAS to all children in their catchment area through community-level delivery methods. So, many governments are considering having community health workers/volunteers (CHW/V) distribute VAS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In some countries, CHW/V already play a major role in VAS distribution. In some settings they assist with logistics and support health workers during VAS distribution events; in this role, they can be helpful to manage patient flow, provide information to caregivers and children, and help with crowd control. In other settings, CHW/V are responsible for administering the vitamin A capsules themselves. The administration of VAS is a relatively simple task that does not require a health diploma, so it is possible for CHW/V to administer VAS as long as they are trained.