But Benjamin Kagan of Chicago Vaccine Angels takes out the bonework for those who do not have the time, resources or computer knowledge to track down a dose.
The 14-year-old tracks where and when vaccinations are available, and makes appointments for people on a waiting list.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to help people. I helped 115 people personally,” Kagan said.
Kagan first discovered that he had the ability to navigate through the vaccine system when he helped his grandparents living in Florida. During the then winter holidays, he spent hours remotely browsing the various state websites and finally got appointments.
“I just kept trying,” Kagan says. “We opened four computers and we all tried and I was just lucky.”
Then Kagan heard about a group called Vaccine Hunters. He first volunteered at the Chicago chapter and gives tips on how to detect the vaccine.
“I started getting all these private messages saying, ‘Benjamin, we need help, Benjamin, I can not discuss this myself, Benjamin, please help me,'” he said.
Kagan has created a spreadsheet of an ever-growing list of people in need of vaccinations and places where doses are available.
He said he found it by searching websites for pharmacies and grocery stores, especially late at night. The database helped him start his own group, Chicago Vaccine Angels.
“He has a big heart,” said his mother Ali Kagan. “He’s a kid who’s always had a big heart, has a lot of time and love for his grandparents, and I think it’s coming out because he realizes how difficult it is, especially for the elderly.”
It was also difficult for Ashley Novoa, whose work in the community takes her in and out of shelters. She secured the vaccine with Kagan’s help.
“We have these people performing and then a teenager to it, who can be outside to do things with his friends. It’s great,” Novoa said.
“It’s just an incredibly gratifying feeling to be able to say that I helped this person. I may have saved their lives,” Kagan said.
Kagan said he only wants to see one website that contains all the places in the area that offer vaccinations and times.
Meanwhile, he said he likes to do what he can to help.
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