ABSTRACT
It was a sultry June morning in southeastern Ohio. The mobile van was parked in the lot of a volunteer fire and rescue as Linda and Janet prepared and administered vaccines for children and adults alike. Twelve-year-old Sarah stood outside the clinic as her mom, Joyce, completed the intake forms provided by Rick (another staff member of the clinic). Many of Sarah’s peers from school had come and gone as she remained outside. While outside and in anticipation of the “doom” that immunizations represented to her, Sarah wrote her will on a paper napkin. “I will my fish and my bike to my brother Andrew,” wrote Sarah. Joyce reminded Sarah that she could not start seventh grade until her immunizations were up to date and that it would be impossible for her to take off work to travel with Sarah the forty miles to their family physician’s office for the vaccination. Moreover, they did not have insurance coverage to cover the complete costs of the vaccination. Sarah nodded that she understood but continued to cry. Linda came down the stairs of the van and welcomed Sarah and Joyce to the clinic. Once inside the exam room, Linda talked to Sarah and Joyce about the importance of the immunization Sarah would receive, described potential side effects, swabbed Sarah’s arm with alcohol and encouraged her to let her arm hang loose like a wet noodle. “OK, I’m ready, go ahead and give me the shot,” Sarah finally said as tears continued to stream down her face. “It’s already done,” shared Linda. “No way, this is the first time I’ve got a shot that didn’t hurt!” exclaimed Sarah. Joyce gently told Sarah she could tear up her will. Throughout the morning, Linda, Janet, and Rick worked in tandem to ease the tensions that naturally arise when youth, like Sarah, get immunizations. As the van traveled back home, one of the authors, Lynn, a participant observer of the mobile clinic’s activities, reflected on a billboard advertising a new state of the art medical complex constructed of metal, glass, cement and human suffering. “While you are changing lanes, we are changing lives,” read the
billboard. In the case of the mobile clinic, the staff are changing lanes and changing lives.
