LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It's a number health officials want to be a lot higher. Right now, only about 13% of kids 12 to 14 are vaccinated in Jefferson County, according to data from the health department.
Now, the city's mobile vaccination clinic is trying to target that age group, by reaching them where they are.
Thursday night, the LouVax-Mobile team set up a pop-up clinic at the KFC Yum! Center while kids were attending a youth basketball camp.
"I was just scared and it just took two seconds," 12-year-old Tommy Cribbs said after he received the COVID-19 vaccine.
"I just didn't want to catch COVID. I'm trying to stay safe," 13-year-old Navayah Adams said.
Tommy and Navayah were two of the kids who chose to get the shot before going to the last day of a free basketball camp, put on by UofL basketball star Robbie Valentine.
"We were excited and the camp was free this year so it was kind of like a two for one," Jacoby Adams, Navayah's mom, said.
"Since he was having the basketball camp, why not offer vaccines and so we're here," Delanor Manson, CEO of the Kentucky Nurses Association, said.
The clinic was a win-win in the eyes of the LouVax mobile team.
"How do we maximize this opportunity in the summer? So let's go to where the kids are going to be," Ruth Carrico, a family nurse practitioner of infectious disease for UofL Health, said.
The health officials said the key to getting shots in kids arms is convenience and role models.
"It's just a reminder that if we're going to tackle and win this pandemic, it's as a family, as a community," Carrico said.
That role model is Valentine, who said his camp for kids 5 to 14 is about more than basketball. That's why it was also so important for him to include a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic as part of the camp.
"They might think 'hey if Robbie did it, I might do it,'" Valentine said.
Valentine said it was emotional being able to help kids through the fear of getting the vaccine, and tell them he was proud after they finished.
"So many kids like myself grew up without a dad and when you can put your arm around a kids shoulder and tell them 'I'm here for you, it's surreal," Valentine said.
While the urgency may have diminished, the health professionals say children need to stay a vaccination priority.
The Lou Vax Mobile team said it plans to have lots more pop up events throughout this summer and are working with JCPS schools to help get even more kids vaccinated ahead of the school year.
►Contact reporter Tyler Emery at temery@WHAS11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@TylerWHAS11) and Facebook.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.