The children’s mobile immunization clinic, operated by Adventist Health and funded by First 5 Kern, has been around for decades — and on Wednesday morning, the medical team aboard was already busy with walk-in traffic in the parking lot of the Kern County Department of Human Services in east Bakersfield.
This year, Adventist is marking a milestone with the 30-year anniversary of its mobile immunization efforts. Since March 1996, the program has provided free children’s immunizations, health screenings and education to families across Kern County.
kAm“(6’C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 42AEFC6 E96> 2E c 2?5 d J62CD @=5[” D2:5 {F4J |2E2[ 2 ?FCD6 H9@ >2?286D p5G6?E:DE w62=E9’D >@3:=6 :?:E:2E:G6D]k^Am
kAmr9:=5C6? 2E E92E 286 2C6 C6249:?8 E96:C =2DE D6E @7 G244:?6D[ D96 D2:5 — 7@C 2 76H J62CD]k^Am
kAm“%96? E96J 92G6 2 3C62< F?E:= E96J EFC? “[” |2E2 D2:5] “%92E’D H96? E96J’C6 86EE:?8 E96:C E66? G244:?6D]k^Am
kAm“x? 36EH66?[ H6 DE:== 92G6 D62D@?2= D9@ED =:<6 7=F 2?5 r~’xs[” D96 D2:5] “%9@D6[ @7 4@FCD6[ 2C6 @AE:@?2=]”k^Am
kAm$E:==[ E96J 92G6 72>:=:6D H9@ 4@>6 324< 6G6CJ J62C 7@C E96 7=F D9@E[ 2?5 2=C625J @H H96C6 E@ =@@< 7@C E96> E96 7@==@H:?8 J62C]k^Am
kAm“p?5 E96? J@F 92G6 @E96CD E92E 2C6?’E 3:8 @? E96 7=F G244:?6[ 2?5 E92E’D ~z[ E@@[” |2E2 D2:5]k^Am
kAmpFC@C2 tDA:?2= H2D E96C6 H:E9 96C `\J62C\@=5 52F89E6C[ p:=2?J[ E@ 86E 42F89E FA @? p:=2?J’D G244:?2E:@? D4965F=6]k^Am
kAm#@D2 |2C:?[ 2 7C:6?5 7C@> 96C ?6:893@C9@@5[ 5C@G6 96C E@ E96 D:E6 (65?6D52J >@C?:?8] tDA:?2= 😀 ?@E 7=F6?E 😕 t?8=:D9[ D@ |2C:? 96=A65 96C ?2G:82E6 E96 A2A6CH@C< 2?5 E96 F?72>:=:2C D6EE:?8]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 4@?G6?:6?E[” |2C:? D2:5] “p3@FE 7:G6 >:?FE6D 7C@> H96C6 D96 =:G6D]”k^Am
kAmp:=2?J 😀 tDA:?2=’D 7:CDE 49:=5[ 2?5 E96 ?6H >@E96C 5@6D?’E H2?E 96C 323J E@ 86E D:4<[ 6DA64:2==J :7 :E’D 62D:=J AC6G6?E23=6[ |2C:? D2:5]k^Am
kAm#F36? r23C6C2[ 2 =:46?D65 G@42E:@?2= ?FCD6[ 25>:?:DE6CD E96 G244:?6D] w6 2=D@ 5C:G6D E96 3:8 #’\DEJ=6 3FD] %H@ @E96C p5G6?E:DE 6>A=@J66D H6C6 H@C<:?8 H:E9 9:> (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAmpD<65 :7 96’D D66? ?6:893@C9@@5 96=A6CD =:<6 |2C:? 367@C6[ r23C6C2 ?@5565]k^Am
kAm“p== E96 E:>6[” 96 D2:5] “(9:49 😀 AC6EEJ 2>2K:?8]”k^Am
kAmw6 G:6HD 9:D @H? ;@3 2D 96=A:?8 @FE E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ 6DA64:2==J 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 5@?’E 92G6 E96 C6D@FC46D @C EC2?DA@CE2E:@? E@ 86E E96 G244:?6D]k^Am
kAm“xE’D G6CJ C6H2C5:?8[” 96 D2:5[ “D6CG:?8 E96 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am
kAm|2E2 D2:5 D96 9@A6D >@C6 A6@A=6 E2<6 25G2?E286 @7 E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 4@>6 E@ D66 E96>]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< AC6G6?E:@? 😀 <6J[” D96 D2:5] “(6 H2?E E@ <66A A6@A=6 962=E9J[ C2E96C E92? EC62E E96> H96? E96J’C6 D:4<]”k^Am
kAmqFE 76H6C A6@A=6 2C6 E2<:?8 25G2?E286 @7 E96 D6CG:46D @776C65 3J E96 >@3:=6 4=:?:4[ |2E2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“%96 :>>F?:K2E:@? C2E6D 564=:?65 C2A:5=J 5FC:?8 r~’xs[ ?@E @?=J 😕 r2=:7@C?:2[ 3FE ?2E:@?H:56[ 2?5 E96 9@A6 H2D E92E @?46 E96 A2?56>:4 H2D @G6C[ H6 4@F=5 4=:>3 324< FA E@ E9@D6 AC6\A2?56>:4 ?F>36CD[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqFE :E 92D?’E 92AA6?65] “F:E6 E96 @AA@D:E6]k^Am
kAmx? a_`h[ E96 J62C 367@C6 E96 A2?56>:4 6IA=@565[ E96 E@E2= ?F>36C @7 A2E:6?ED D6CG65 3J E96 >@3:=6 G244:?2E:@? AC@8C2> H2D a[c`g[ 244@C5:?8 E@ p5G6?E:DE’D C64@C5D]k^Am
kAm%96 D2>6 J62C[ E@E2= G244:?6D 25>:?:DE6C65 H2D e[`gf]k^Am
kAm{2DE J62C[ E96 ?F>36CD H6C6 2 7C24E:@? @7 E96 AC6\A2?56>:4 52E2] x? a_ad E96 E@E2= ?F>36C @7 A2E:6?ED D6CG65 3J E96 >@3:=6 AC@8C2> H2D feh[ 2 AC64:A:E@FD 564=:?6 @7 egT]k^Am
kAm{:<6H:D6[ E92E D2>6 J62C[ E96 E@E2= ?F>36C @7 G244:?6D 25>:?:DE6C65 H2D a[adg[ 2 5C@A\@77 @7 eb]dT]k^Am
kAm“&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ H6’C6 D66:?8 @E96C :?7=F6?46D E92E 2C6 <66A:?8 E9@D6 ?F>36CD 36=@H H96C6 H6 H2?E E96> E@ 36]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 :>>:8C2E:@? A@=:4:6D 😕 67764E[ 2?5 xrt[” D96 D2:5[ C676CC:?8 E@ C2:5D 3J &]$] x>>:8C2E:@? 2?5 rFDE@>D t?7@C46>6?E]k^Am
kAm!6@A=6 2C6 27C2:5[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“p =@E @7 E96 A6@A=6 E92E H6 ?@C>2==J D6CG6 2C6 96D:E2?E E@ 4@>6 @FE[” |2E2 D2:5] “$@ A2E:6?ED 2C6?’E 2EE6?5:?8 @FC 4=:?:4D 2D >F49 2D E96J FD65 E@]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 962C:?8 2 =@E @7 E92E 96D:E2E:@?[ 6G6? H96? A6@A=6 2C6 42==:?8 2?5 ;FDE 86EE:?8 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE E96 AC@8C2>[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmxE’D 567:?:E6=J 27764E:?8 E96 ?F>36CD 7@C E96 =@42= :>>F?:K2E:@? AC@8C2>[ 2D 2C6 E96 4@?EC@G6CD:6D DA2C<65 3J &]$] $64C6E2CJ @7 w62=E9 2?5 wF>2? $6CG:46D #@36CE u] z6??65J yC] 2?5 9:D 2EE6>AED E@ 492?86 E96 :>>F?:K2E:@? D4965F=6[ |2E2 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“xE 766=D =:<6 E96 52>286 92D 366? 5@?6 😕 E6C>D @7 4@?7:56?46] (96? E96 4@>>F?:EJ =@D6D 4@?7:56?46[ :E’D 2 C62= 492==6?86 E@ C63F:=5 E92E 4@?7:56?46]”k^Am
kAm(96? =@42= >@E96C !C23;@E z2FC 3C@F89E 96C J@F?8 52F89E6C[ pC=:?[ E@ E96 >@3:=6 4=:?:4 (65?6D52J[ 96C 4@?7:56?46 2AA62C65 E@ 36 :?E24E]k^Am
kAm“x 5:5?’E @H 23@FE E9:D 367@C6[” D96 D2:5] “x’> 96C6 3642FD6 @?6 @7 >J 7C:6?5D E@=5 >6 E92E E9:D 😀 62D:6C] *@F 42? ;FDE 86E E96:C =@42E:@? H96C6G6C E96J 2C6[ 2?5 ;FDE G:D:E]”k^Am
kAm%96 >@3:=6 4=:?:4 😀 :?5665 >@3:=6]k^Am
kAmw6C 52F89E6C’D G244:?6D 2C6 FA E@ 52E6[ z2FC D2:5] qFE >@> H2?E65 2 7=F D9@E 7@C 96C b\J62C\@=5]k^Am
kAm|:?FE6D =2E6C[ D96 H2D :?D:56[ 9@=5:?8 pC=:? @? 96C =2A[ 96=A:?8 E@ 5:DEC24E 96C 7C@> H92E H2D 4@>:?8[ FD:?8 >@E96C=J 27764E:@? 2?5 A@:?E:?8 @FE E96 $A:56C\|2? DE:4<6CD E92E H6C6 FD65 2D C6H2C5D 7@C 3C2G6 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm%96 D9@E[ 42C67F==J 25>:?:DE6C65 3J r23C6C2 E@ E96 8:C=’D E9:89[ 42FD65 ?@ 4CJ @7 A2:?[ 3C@F89E ?@ E62CD]k^Am
kAm!2C6?ED H:E9 49:=5C6? @G6C E96 286 @7 d >2J >2<6 2? 2AA@:?E>6?E 2E E96 >@3:=6 4=:?:4 3J 42==:?8 ee`\geh\efc_] }@ 2AA@:?E>6?ED 2C6 ?646DD2CJ 7@C 49:=5C6? d @C J@F?86C]k^Am
kAmr9:=5C6? H9@ 2C6 F?56C E96 286 @7 d[ 2?5 E96:C D:3=:?8D[ H:== 36 8:G6? AC:@C:EJ 5F6 E@ 8C2?E 7F?5:?8 7C@> u:CDE d z6C?] x>>F?:K2E:@? 42C5D 2C6 C6BF:C65 7@C 2== G:D:ED]k^Am