It is almost time for kids to return to school, but Alexander Hang, RN and his team want to make sure sickness does not.
Hang is the unit director at The University of New Mexico Southwest Mesa Center for Family & Community Health where a free back-to-school immunization clinic will take place Tuesday, July 30 from 1-4 p.m.
“It’s a great event, being able to connect with kids and parents from the community, letting them know we are here to help and we have spaces for primary care as well,” Hang said.
“First and foremost, it is important to protect the children from these communicable diseases. We want to make sure that they have all the appropriate vaccines that they need to go back to school.”
In addition to meeting the children’s health needs, Hang said they will also provide free backpacks and school supplies at the immunization clinic.
“We want to make sure children have the supplies they need to be able to thrive and not be concerned about missing notebooks or glue or whatever they might need in classes,” he said.
Vaccine Clinic Details
When: Tuesday, July 30, 1-4 p.m.
Where: UNMH Southwest Mesa Center for Family & Community Health (301 Unser Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87121)
What: Free School Immunizations for Ages 0-18
**Free backpacks and school supplies available for children five years and older who are present.
All vaccines that are required by the state will be available for children ages 0-18 years of age, including COVID boosters.
“There is a wide variety of immunizations, and we do have combo vaccines as well,” Hang said. “We give hepatitis A and B vaccines, varicella to protect against chicken pox, and polio vaccines, a lot of diseases where these vaccines are known to be effective with herd immunity. We definitely do not want these illnesses to start popping back up in schools and affecting children.”
Insurance is not required for immunizations, and providers can help families look up their child’s immunization records if they are unsure of which shots they need. Hang asks that those who have insurance bring that information to the shot clinic.
He said this event is one he looks forward to every year, and health care workers are providing so much more than immunizations.
“Our event is a little bit more special in my heart in being able to provide a little bit extra for the children with school supplies and prizes,” he said. “We will be doing this annually. So, if someone has come here before, they are certainly welcome to come back!”
For those who would like to stay on top of back-to-school immunizations but are unable to make it to this event, UNM Health and Bernalillo County teamed up to put on more than a dozen other shot clinics this summer across the Albuquerque Metro area.
For a full list of dates and locations, click here.