Utah is home to the largest per capita population of Pacific Islanders in the continental United States.
Pacific Islanders are excelling in every sector of Utah society, but some challenges and disparities persist- such as with vaccination rates in children and adolescents.
Intermountain Health is partnering with the Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition to assist families in getting their children immunized and have helped create this community event to help families with their immunizations.
"I'm so proud to be part of a team here at Intermountain that truly values community collaboration and is willing to learn from communities about how to best serve their needs in ways that work for them,” said Jake Fitisemanu, community health program manager for Intermountain Health.
“The Protect Our Kids Pacific Islander Family Wellness Tailgate” event will infuse health promoting messages and important wellness-related resources into a fun, familiar context that is welcoming, family-friendly, and community-centered to help families and children be as healthy as possible.
The event will take place on Saturday, June 15 from 10 am to 2 pm at LaVell Edwards Stadium on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo. Attendees can go to the Cougar Club Parking Lot #4.
This family-oriented vaccination event will include an outdoor health fair format featuring information tables, activity stations, an "Ask a Doctor" booth, and music and entertainment from a Utah County-based Polynesian performing arts group.
Pacific Islander community health workers have been tirelessly raising awareness about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and have created a "Protect Our Kids" slogan to support this.
Regular well-child visits should include reviewing important immunizations required for school enrollment and are a good time to complete medical forms required for some school activities.
Vaccines are also available from your local health department.
If a patient doesn’t have insurance, the Vaccines for Children Program is available to those who qualify.