This month, our school-based health centers began providing a critical service – COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 5 to 18. After record numbers of children received their first dose at pop-up vaccination sites in elementary and middle schools in November, the city turned to school-based health centers like ours to help provide second doses.
Our centers provide comprehensive care to more than 4,000 students per year. Through this approach, our students receive quality medical, dental, and behavioral health care without missing a day of school. And parents are assured that their children have continuous care with a physician they know.
Because of our long-standing relationships with children and families, they felt safe turning to us for their second dose. Staff from our Health and Wellness Division, our community schools, and our health centers worked together to explain to our clients who received their first dose that booking the second shot would be a breeze.
They enrolled students in our school-based health centers and scheduled appointments. Students who were not able to receive their first doses at pop-up clinics in November were also able to be fully vaccinated at our sites.
Instead of burdening parents with the work of looking for a vaccination site in their communities, students could walk down the hall to their school-based health center.
In response to their efforts, 80 doses of the Pfizer vaccine were given to students across three school-based health centers on Dec. 1, the first day of the vaccination launch.
“It was a real honor to work together on this, and it was really fun and impactful to see it all come together,” said Lauren Jen, assistant medical director for school and camp health. “This was truly a team effort. It was Children’s Aid at its finest.”
More than 100 doses have been administered in the last two weeks.
“It was really moving,” Jen said. “Parents were super relieved. People also expressed that they appreciated being able to have this in a way that was convenient. The advantages of school-based health centers is that we’re bringing care to kids where they are.”
Student athletes who are mandated to be vaccinated to play sports have also relied on our school-based health centers to receive their two doses.
According to Jen, the medical professionals at each center have been “pleasantly surprised” by how the students are tolerating the vaccines.
“They’re getting their vaccine, they’re going back to class and for the most part, they’re coming to school the next day,” she said. “We’re absolutely thrilled with the interest that there’s been, and we’re excited to continue offering this for all of our patients.”
