MILWAUKEE – The City of Milwaukee Health Department hosted their 22nd annual Back to School Health Fair in the Deer District at Fiserv Forum on Friday.
Emily Tau, the Marketing and Communications Officer for the City of Milwaukee Health Department, explained the main purpose of the event to WTMJ.
“We’ve been doing this for a long time right before the school year starts. The main priority really is to make sure kids are up to date on their school required vaccines. Families who need to get their kids vaccinated or don’t know what their vaccine status is, we can check that for them,” Tau said. “The vaccines are all free and there’s no proof of insurance needed. It’s a really easy way to make sure the kids are safe and healthy ahead of the school year without having to schedule an appointment with their doctor.”
Justin Clifford, an attendee of the event, spoke about its impact on the community and its importance to the kids of the city.
“An event like this is important because not everybody in the city of Milwaukee, especially the inner city, has the money and resources to get school supplies. There’s certain children every year that show up for the first day empty handed; they don’t even have a backpack, pencils or paper,” Clifford said. “The schools don’t even have money right now to supply these things. So it’s very important for the community to come together and just supply these things to those in need.”
The Fair offered food trucks from Bebe’s Bistro, The Fatty Patty, Sweet Crush Ice Cream and Kona Ice. Community organizations also brought live entertainment for event goers.
“The main priority is making sure kids are safe, healthy, and prepared for the school year but on top of that it’s a fun event. We have free backpacks and school supplies, we’ve got information about all of our Milwaukee Health Department programs, we have a bunch of community partners here,” Tau said. “We have food trucks, Social X M.K.E is doing little mini workouts, and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra has their steel pan band. It’s a fun family event where people can come on down, but it still has the priority of health.”
If you missed out on the fair there are still opportunities for your child to get vaccinated. Visit the following link (https://city.milwaukee.gov/health/immunizations/ClinicServices.html) to see all the opportunities for your child to get immunized for the upcoming school year.
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