VNSNY Provides 440 Free Shingles Vaccinations to New York City Seniors in 2017
On October 4th, VNSNY held its final shingles vaccination and education event of 2017 at the Self Help Senior Center in Flushing, Queens. The gathering, which included a presentation in Mandarin, drew more than 100 attendees, over 70 of whom received a free shingles vaccination from a VNSNY nurse. “Overall, we held eleven vaccination events this year in every borough of the city, in which we vaccinated 440 seniors and educated several hundred more about the benefits of the shingles vaccine,” says Rhonda Soberman, VNSNY’s Manager of Program Development.
The cost of the shingles vaccine, which runs $230 per injection if paid for out of pocket, was covered through a combination of individuals’ insurance and a $75,000 grant from the New York Foundation for Eldercare. “We’re very grateful to the foundation for giving us the ability to touch the lives of so many seniors and help them reduce their risk of getting this painful condition,” says Rhonda. “Having now carried out this program for two consecutive years, we’ve learned a great deal about the best way to implement these shingles outreach efforts.”
In addition to conducting the events in multiple languages—events were also held in Spanish and English this year, and included Russian-speaking presenters the preceding year—VNSNY has fine-tuned its process for pre-screening individuals, and adjusted its staffing levels to ensure that no one has to wait too long to receive the actual shots. “We’ve learned how to run a very effective event that meets everyone’s needs, working with the New York City Department of Aging, staff at the various senior centers hosting the program, and volunteers from the community,” adds Rhonda. “If you truly want to affect public health outcomes, it’s important that events like this are well-organized, so that everyone feels comfortable. And to do that, collaboration is essential.”
The Take-Away: For the second straight year, VNSNY has leveraged funding from the New York Foundation for Eldercare to provide free shingles vaccinations and vaccine education to hundreds of New York City seniors.
