Boosters For All: Keeping all children up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccine

Health and Wellness for All Arizonans is our vision here at ADHS. To help achieve that goal, the Office of Health Equity looks for ways to reach Arizonans in underserved areas where there is a special need for care.

In October 2021, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11, ADHS launched a Vaccines for Kids campaign to reach kids.

We were especially focused on reaching children with disabilities who might be less likely to receive the vaccine. We did that with the help of community partners including Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, The Arc, Raising Special Kids, the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council, and The Arizona Center for Disability Law.

When the campaign launched last fall, all materials  were available in English and Spanish, rich text and plain text (accessible to individuals who utilize a screen reader), large text, and Braille and included  an American Sign Language (ASL) video that featured Certified Deaf Interpreter, Linda Bove.

The CDC now recommends a new COVID-19 booster, called the bivalent booster, for everyone ages 6 months and older. To help reach parents of children statewide, ADHS launched a Boosters for All campaign designed to educate all Arizonans about the importance of staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

As a part of that campaign, Linda Bove returned to ADHS to produce a new public service announcement video in ASL with updated information about the new, bivalent boosters. . This short, informative video also features captions and is available on the ADHS YouTube page and at azdhs.gov/VaccinesForKids. 

Children make up nearly a fifth of Arizona’s COVID-19 cases. Although children may be less likely than adults to be hospitalized due to severe illness from COVID-19, children can get seriously ill. Children, like adults, can suffer long-term symptoms of the illness.

That’s why we’re so excited to make this updated video available so all Arizonans can learn about the importance of the bivalent booster.