The Department of Public Health and Social Services celebrated Adolescent Immunization Week with an immunization outreach at Guam Community College on Friday.
April is Public Health Awareness Month as well, and the agency is continuing the celebration by letting the community know to “Get Immunized Guam.”
The outreach focused on encouraging the community, specifically children and adolescents without insurance, to keep up to date with their vaccines, especially as measles spreads in the mainland U.S.
Darlene Fukuichi is one of the parents who took the time to attend the event, sharing how helpful these outreaches can be for parents and children.
“It’s very hard nowadays to get insurance,” she said. “It’s beneficial for the community because I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of people out there that don’t have insurance, so giving us this opportunity is a big help, especially for the kids.”
Courtney Michelle Untalan, another parent in attendance, also shared that these events are helpful for those seeking to find a quicker and easier way to ensure their children’s immunization records are up to date.
“It’s faster than calling a clinic and probably waiting for two or three weeks,” she said, noting that it’s important to ensure her daughter is vaccinated to continue attending school after spring break. “This event being available is super helpful.”
While immunizations are the main focus of the event, the event also serves to promote other programs within Public Health such as the Division of Environmental Health, which showcased safe food handling practices through a Jeopardy-style board game.
According to Aisleabesh Maglaque, environmental health officer, food safety starts at home.
Maglaque said that food safety can be as simple as ensuring that children wash their hands or preventing cross-contamination when parents prepare food for their children.
“If they keep those in mind, it can help prevent food-related sickness, and we hope to get the message out there,” she said.
Annette Aguon, Public Health immunization program manager, said the agency also encourages families to contribute to the well-being of the community by availing of these services and actively learning more about Public Health programs.
“Help us to protect you and your loved ones,” she said. “We’re here for the health and wellness of the island, so if you have any questions please call us and we can assist you as best we can, make you aware of what services you may be eligible within our agency and if not we can direct you to partners that can maybe assist you with what you need for health or social well-being.”
For parents looking to attend future immunization outreach events, Public Health requires that children under 18 have their birth certificates, photo IDs of parents or guardians and immunization records on hand.
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