Cherry Health (Grand Rapids, MI) has proactively promoted COVID-19 vaccinations for adolescents and continues to increase their reach. To date, Cherry Health has administered at least one COVID-19 shot to more than 1,400 adolescents, aged 12 to 17.
They have achieved this milestone through multi-pronged, targeted efforts. This past spring, right after the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was approved for youth, Cherry Health hosted a vaccine clinic at a local high school and administered nearly 130 COVID-19 vaccines to teens.
The health center hosted weekly evening vaccine events for adolescents and families. Cherry Health sent text messages to patients aged 12 to 16 encouraging them to attend and invited parents to get their vaccine at the same time. They also brought their mobile unit to back-to-school resource fairs.
“By getting this shot, we keep ourselves out of the hospital and allow people who really need treatment to access care; we can start going to sports games and see our friends again,” said a teenage patient who recently received a COVID-19 vaccine through Cherry Health, encouraging others in her community to do the same.