Children Discovery Museum and Community Partners Offer Creative, One-of-a-Kind Vaccination Clinics for Children

Five funders step up to support busy families with a two-stop shop - a vaccine and a free museum visit - for any child who is vaccinated at the iconic Purple Museum

Children’s Discovery Museum has teamed up with Santa Clara County Public Health Department to support local families with creative vaccination clinics for young children at the beloved institution in downtown San Jose. At planned clinics on Sunday, January 2, and Sunday, January 23, every family whose child or adult is vaccinated will receive a family pass (FREE MUSEUM VAXPASS) for a free museum visit. Families can use the pass the day of their vaccination or return within six months of the clinic date. At least two more clinics will be scheduled at the museum this winter. 

“Parents have a lot on their plate and we want to help. These clinics offer a two-shop stop for busy parents – they can get their child vaccinated and also enjoy a visit to the museum,” said Marilee Jennings, executive director of Children’s Discovery Museum. “We’re proud to play a role in bringing us one step closer to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and we’re grateful for the many partners who are helping make these clinics possible.” 

The cost of outreach and lost revenue from closing the museum for the clinics will be covered by funding from Silicon Valley Community Foundation, The Health Trust, San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez’s office, Anthem Blue Cross, and Santa Clara Family Health Plan. Viva Calle of the San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services will provide outdoor activities to entertain children before and after their vaccination.

The clinics are open to all eligible people age five and up for first and second doses and booster shots for eligible people age 18 and up (six months after a second Pfizer and Moderna vaccination and two months after a J&J shot).  Special outreach is underway to target Medi-Cal recipients whom have a lower vaccination rate than the rest of the population. Presently, only 63% of Santa Clara Family Health Plan Med-Cal members age 12 and older are fully vaccinated.

Recent data from the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that nearly a third of surveyed parents nationwide (32%) say they want to “wait and see” how the vaccine works for other children first. Another 29% say they will definitely not get their child vaccinated. The state of California will mandate that all schoolchildren be vaccinated once final FDA approval for the vaccine has been secured, creating urgency to get as many children vaccinated as possible in order to avoid learning loss from potential distance learning and to slow the spread of COVID-19.