But Benjamin Kagan of Chicago Vaccine Angels is taking the job out for those who don’t have the time, resources, or computer skills to locate a dose.
The 14-year-old tracks where and when vaccines are available and makes appointments for people on the waiting list.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to help people. I’ve personally helped 115 people,” Kagan said.
Kagan first discovered that he had the ability to navigate the vaccination system when he helped his grandparents living in Florida. During the winter holidays of that time, I spent hours remotely browsing the various websites in that state and eventually getting appointments.
“I’ve kept trying,” Kagan said. “We had four computers open and we tried them all and I was lucky.”
Then Kagan heard about a group called Hunters Vaccine. He volunteered for the Chicago chapter at first, offering advice on how to locate the vaccine.
“I started getting all these private messages saying, Benjamin we need help, Benjamin, I can’t book it myself, Benjamin, help me please,” he said.
Kagan made a spreadsheet with a growing list of people who need vaccines and places where doses are available.
He said he found them crawling websites of pharmacies and grocery stores, especially late at night. This database helped him create his own group, Chicago Vaccine Angels.
“He has a huge heart,” his mother Ali Kagan said. “He’s a kid who’s always had a huge heart, he has a lot of time and he loves his grandparents and I think that translates because he realizes how difficult it is, especially for the elderly.”
It was also hard for Ashley Novoa, whose community work takes her in and out of shelters. He got the vaccine with the help of Kagan.
“We have these people who are stepping up and then they’re teenagers, who could be out doing things with their friends. So it’s amazing,” Novoa said.
“It’s just an incredibly rewarding feeling to be able to say I helped that person. Maybe I saved their lives,” Kagan said.
Kagan said he would like to see only one website that lists all the sites in the area that offer vaccinations and available schedules.
Meanwhile, he said he was happy to do his best to help.
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