Any parent knows that keeping up with childhood vaccines can be a challenge. Vaccinations protect against serious illnesses that can spread rapidly in schools, so state law requires that children be up-to-date before starting the school year.
As the end of August approached, some families found themselves running out of time and at risk of delaying their student’s first day of school.
In response, a collaboration between the Foundation, Vancouver Public Schools, and the Salmon Creek Hospital Foundation brought Legacy’s Population Health team into the community to provide much-needed vaccines—just in the nick of time.
Working in conjunction with the Welcome Center—an on-site resource providing registration assistance, translators, and connections to Family Community Resource Coordinators (FCRCs)—the clinic was able to administer 282 vaccines in the span of three days…just in the nick of time!
Including access to immunizations as an extension of the Welcome Center proved to be an effective and convenient way for children to get up-to-date on their vaccines. During the registration process, if records showed a student was due for a particular vaccine—whether individual or part of a series—they could simply walk next door to the Legacy Health pop-up clinic.
Stocked with all the necessary supplies and friendly smiles, the Legacy Population Health team ensured each child received the needed immunizations. Many vaccines were administered the day before school, ensuring students could start the year on time and not miss valuable class time. What a relief!
The Washington State Department of Health reports that childhood vaccine rates have fallen since the pandemic, making this partnership especially impactful as the new school year approached.
Nick Kashey, MD, MPH, of Legacy Health, emphasized the impact of the clinic by saying, “It was such a privilege for our Legacy Health team to partner with Vancouver Public Schools and provide catch-up vaccines, ensuring kids were able to start school on time. We look forward to this ongoing relationship and to other opportunities to promote the health of school-aged children in our community.”
A huge thank you to the entire Legacy Population Health team, the Salmon Creek Hospital Foundation, and Vancouver Public Schools for making the vaccine clinic possible!
