The development of the new Lee Health Fort Myers campus brings an exciting opportunity to rename Challenger Boulevard to align the street name with the values, history, and vision of our community. We invite the community to submit nominations for the renaming, as your involvement in this process is important to us. Submit your nomination here!

Golisano Launches Mobile Pediatric Vaccination Clinic

From Nichole Shimko, Supervisor for the Pediatric Critical Care Transport Team at Golisano Children’s Hospital and Leader of the Mobile Pediatric Vaccination Clinic

While COVID-19 rates have dropped significantly in Southwest Florida, the virus still remains in our community. Vaccination is key to returning back to normalcy.

At Lee Health, we have launched the Golisano Children’s Hospital Mobile Pediatric Vaccination Clinic to increase COVID-19 vaccine availability for children in our region.

Our goal is to reach families that may not otherwise be able to receive a vaccination for COVID-19 due to transportation and other factors. Through this mobile vaccination clinic, we are creating additional access for children 12 years old and older to be able to get their COVID-19 vaccine.

We want to make sure that everyone who wants to be vaccinated has the ability to do so. The response we’ve gotten from families on stops has been amazing. They’re so appreciative that we’re coming to them. Many of them said they wouldn’t have been able to get a vaccine if it weren’t for this unit.

The Mobile Pediatric Vaccination Clinic is tailored especially for children. It’s staffed with a pediatric registered nurse to administer the vaccine. A special Pain Ease spray is on-hand to put on the injection site to alleviate any discomfort or fear of needles that kids sometimes have. Also, the mobile vaccination unit has a pharmacist, EMT or paramedic, and customer service team to assist in the process.

Anyone is welcome and there is no cost for the vaccine. The Mobile Pediatric Vaccination Clinic is walk-up only, and will be traveling the Southwest Florida region with future stops planned in Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Lehigh Acres.

We’ve also partnered with the School District of Lee County to bring the unit to middle and high schools in case parents would like to get their children vaccinated at those locations. The community is also welcome. (Upcoming stops are announced weekly to local news outlets.)

A parent or authorized guardian must accompany a minor for vaccination. The second dose will be set for the same location or one nearby.

If you or your child age 12 or older haven’t yet been vaccinated for COVID-19, our mobile clinic is a great opportunity to do so. You can also receive a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost at Lee Health’s Community Vaccination Clinic, located at Gulf Coast Medical Center. For more information, visit www.leehealth.org.