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More Than a Flu Shot: The Personal Stories Behind JSSOM's Community Vaccine Clinics

For some medical students, volunteering at a community vaccine clinic is another way to serve. For others, it's personal.

When Grace Chang, third-year medical student at UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine, helps organize free flu vaccine clinics across Galveston, she's thinking about someone who never had the opportunity she's helping provide.

"My father did not have access to the polio vaccine when he was a child and contracted polio, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down," she said. "His experience has deeply shaped my perspective on preventive medicine and reinforced my belief that no one should experience lifelong disability or preventable illness simply because they lack access to healthcare."

When Access Becomes Personal

That belief has become one of the driving forces behind the student-led vaccine clinics organized through the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) and Frontera de Salud. For years, the organizations have worked alongside faculty and community partners to provide free influenza vaccines to uninsured and underinsured members of the Galveston community. This year's effort expands that tradition by bringing clinics to even more locations where people already gather, making it easier for families to receive preventive care close to home.

For Eunhye Jeon, another JSSOM med student helping coordinate this year's effort, the work is rooted in memories from childhood. She remembers her aunt searching local and Korean newspapers for free vaccine events because health insurance wasn't always an option for their family.

"I remember how happy she was that she could take care of our entire family because getting a flu shot was not always easy for us as we did not have health insurance," Jeon said. "Being able to help expand similar opportunities is deeply meaningful to me, and I am incredibly grateful to have the chance to give back to the community in the same way."

Meeting People Where They Are

Those personal experiences have helped shape this year's expanded vaccine drive, which includes partnerships with organizations serving people who are unhoused, neighborhood grocery stores, and community organizations throughout Galveston. The goal is simple: make preventive care easier to reach by meeting people where they already are.

The clinics are open to everyone, but the students know that convenience can make all the difference for someone balancing work, transportation, childcare, or other barriers to healthcare.

For Giovanny Reyes, Family Medicine Interest Group vaccine coordinator, the experience has reinforced something that isn't always taught in a classroom. "What makes this work especially meaningful is not just administering vaccines, but rather the trust building that goes into it by answering questions, addressing concerns, and having culturally appropriate conversations," he said.

Those conversations often become his favorite part of the day. "Being able to educate, connect, and support our community in protecting their health has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this work."

Learning to Care Beyond the Clinic

John Jeevarajan has watched the program's impact grow over the years while helping continue a tradition that began in 2012. He says the clinics have shown him that community medicine extends well beyond treating illness. "Some of my favorite moments are witnessing relief or excitement from receiving vaccines," he said. "UTMB is providing a service that is convenient and attainable for those who might otherwise face barriers to care."

For him, the work also reflects an important responsibility for future physicians. "I believe it is part of our duty to patients to go beyond providing acute medical care, but to also engage in education and awareness efforts."

That commitment is what connects each of these students, even though their stories began in different places. One was inspired by a father's experience with polio. Another remembers searching for free vaccine clinics as a child. Others discovered a passion for preventive medicine through service and community outreach. Together, they're continuing a tradition that has served Galveston for more than a decade; one built not only on providing vaccines, but on listening, building trust, and making healthcare more accessible.

August's National Immunization Awareness Month is a reminder of the importance of vaccines. At UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine, it's also a reminder that behind every community clinic are students whose own experiences are shaping the physicians they are becoming.

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