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Low-Income Seniors, Kids Receive Free Shots

Sarah Parks

A special partnership is now providing free immunizations and other health related aid to children and seniors in Reno who are in need. Reno Public Radio's Sarah Parks reports.

Renown Health is providing Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada with a grant that covers all expenses of the vaccinations, which according to Wendy Damonte, can otherwise come with a hefty fee.

"If you go out to a pharmacy and have to pay for them, they can be expensive, upwards of a couple hundred dollars each, so for them to be able to have this service brought to them is key."

Matt Vaughan from Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada says that the goal of this partnership is for health care to be brought to people in underserved communities who otherwise may not be able to get the care that they need.

"We try to go to areas where there is a need, whether it is an area that is primarily low income families or we know that there is a big senior population of people that are homebound and don't have the resources to get out and about."

The partnership ends in December of 2018. By that time, Catholic Charities expects to provide immunizations and health services for more than 5,000 people.

Sarah Parks is a former news intern at KUNR Public Radio.
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