But Benjamin Kagan of the Chicago Vaccine Angels is reducing legwork for those who don’t have the time, resources or computer knowledge to locate a dose.
The 14-year-old tracks where and when vaccines are available and makes appointments for people on the waiting list.
“It feels great to be able to help people. I personally helped 115 people,” said Kagan.
Kagan discovered that he had a knack for navigating the vaccine system when he helped his Florida grandparents. At the time, on winter holidays, he spent hours remotely browsing various websites in that state and finally got appointments for them.
“I just kept trying,” said Kagan. “We had four computers open and we were trying them all out and I was lucky.”
Then, Kagan heard about a group called Vaccine Hunters. He volunteered at the Chicago chapter at the beginning, offering tips on how to locate the vaccine.
“I started receiving all these private messages saying: Benjamin, we need help, Benjamin, I can’t book alone, Benjamin, help me please,” he said.
Kagan has made a spreadsheet with a growing list of people who need vaccines and places where doses are available.
He said he found them scouring websites for pharmacies and supermarkets, especially late at night. This database helped him start his own group, Chicago Vaccine Angels.
“He has a huge heart,” said his mother, Ali Kagan. “He is a boy who has always had a big heart, has a lot of time and love for grandparents and I think that translates 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 into and out of shelters. She got the vaccine with Kagan’s help.
“We have these people who are getting ahead and then a teenager, who could be outside doing things with friends. So it’s incredible, ”said Novoa.
“It is an incredibly gratifying feeling to be able to say that I helped this person. I may have saved his life,” said Kagan.
Kagan said he would like to see just one website that lists all the places in the area that offer vaccines and the times they are available.
In the meantime, he said he is happy to do what he can to help.
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