Esperanza Health Centers has been one of the top pediatric COVID-19 vaccine providers in Chicago, according to the city’s Department of Public Health. They have administered more than 10,000 immunizations to adolescents ages 12-17.
Now that the Pfizer-BioNTech shot is authorized for kids ages 5-11, Esperanza has taken creative approaches to reach younger children. They are texting parents of all eligible children to tell them how to schedule shots for their kids, conducting educational sessions on pediatric vaccines for parents, and maximizing their use of social media to spread the word.
As of November 29, 2021, Esperanza had given nearly 2,600 doses to kids ages 5-11, with about 87% going to Latino/Hispanic kids living on the southwest side of Chicago. About 60% of the kids at their vaccination site are established Esperanza patients.
“It’s so heartwarming to see kids excited to come into our vaccine center knowing that they are doing their part to help protect their families and keep themselves safe,” said Dr. Mark Minier, Esperanza’s medical director of pediatrics and school-based health services. “Kids want to stay in school and they know the vaccine is an important part of that. While there have been some occasional tears, we see a lot more smiles, high-fives, and arm-flexing pics with Band-Aids.”