Giving young people the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was the focus of a drive-thru clinic outside an Aurora school Tuesday, an event that proved so popular it closed early after all the vaccine available was administered.
Beginning at 11 a.m., the drive-thru clinic at Hope D. Wall School at 449 W. New Indian Trail Court was designed to “focus on kids,” organizers said. The date worked out well as it was a day off of school for students.
“Once we came back from break, like every place else, we’ve seen some upticks in the infection rate and we looked at the calendar and realized that we had an opportunity as this was a school improvement day,” said Angie Smith, assistant superintendent for operations for West Aurora School District 129. “We wanted to make it a little bit easier for some of our families as it’s gotten a little harder to find places to get shots.”
With students being home, school officials knew in many cases that parents would likewise be home with them making Tuesday’s clinic and the drive-thru format easier for everyone.
“I personally got my vaccination at a drive-thru that our provider VNA runs and people come up to your car and you fill out the necessary paperwork and administer the vaccination,” Smith said. “The beauty of this for parents is kids get worked up going to the doctor’s office or clinic but here you’re in your car in a friendly environment and mom is right there. You might see some of your friends in line and this might take away some of the trepidation people might have.”
Smith called Hope Wall “a perfect location” given there is a canopy over the entire front portion of the building to protect visitors.
Booster doses of the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were also available at the event.
Officials on site including Prescillia Carney of VNA Health Care said there were only 200 vaccines available Tuesday and that the clinic would be closed long before the four-hour period that was scheduled.
Marti Neahring, West Aurora School District executive director for student and family services, said the drive-up line was actually closed even before 11 a.m. “because the vaccines – we’ve exceeded what they brought, which is actually a fantastic thing.”
“I think people are really happy so far,” Neahring said during the event. “It’s nice to be able to pull up and stay in your car and stay warm.”
Elva Martinez of Aurora brought her son and daughter to the event and said only one of them was getting a vaccine Tuesday.
Martinez said the drive-up service “is perfect – it’s easier to just stay in your car.”
“You can stay here with your kids and because I was afraid that they were going to take my daughter inside the building by herself,” she said. “I think this does reduce the anxiety for kids and they can kind of just stay in the car and just drive off and not have them feel so scared.”
Lana Martinez, 6, sat in the back seat of her mother’s car and said she was “a little scared” about getting the shot.
“I’m doing OK,” Lana said behind her mask.
Jennifer Lopez of North Aurora called the program “great and convenient.”
“It’s better than going to a clinic,” she said. “My daughter, Claire, 11, is getting her first shot today. She’s a little nervous. I’ve already had my shots so I’ve been able to coach her up a little bit.”
Hilda Weinert of Aurora said both she and her two sons Andrew, 16, and Michael, 12, were getting vaccines Tuesday and “two of us are getting our boosters.”
“My youngest is getting his second shot and the rest are boosters,” Weinert said. “This is the first drive-thru clinic we’ve been to and it’s pretty nice. It’s well organized and easy to set up your appointments. This is a good way to reduce anxiety as the boys can see me get (the shot) and then everyone feels more relaxed when his turn comes.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
