Yash Roy Photo
She can "do this": Vaccinated Dalia Weinreb (center) with parents Marlene Edelstein and David Weinreb, U.S. Rep. DeLauro, HHS Secretary Becerra.
The top-billed guest was a U.S. cabinet secretary. But six-month-old Fair Havener Dalia Weinreb stole the show — and sent the message.
Dalia was one of the participants at a press event held Wednesday morning at Fair Haven Community Health Care Center.
The event was called to spread the word that the federal government has now approved Covid-19 vaccinations for children, like Dalia, who are between 6 months and 5 years old, and to let people know that Fair Haven, as always at the center of grassroots community help, is one place to take them.
U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra came to town for the event, invited by New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. They were joined by Fair Haven Community Health Care CEO Suzanna Lagarde, and National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) Founder Joanne Goldblum — as well as by Dalia and her parents Marlene Edelstein and David Weinreb.
The stop promoted HHS’s “We Can Do This” vax campaign.
“In the last two weeks, five million kids between 6 months and 5 years have gotten vaccinated, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Becerra. “We need to continue working with amazing clinics like Fair Haven to help concerned parents get the information they need from people they trust to do the right thing for their kids. I always say listen to people you trust — not politicians, but doctors and caregivers you trust and Fair Haven is a prime example of that.”
Happily gurgling and babbling as Becerra and DeLauro spoke, Dalia was in attendance because she got her Moderna vaccine last week.
“She’s the real star of this show,” Becerra told the people gathered for the event.
Becerra with the star of the show.
Her parents Marlene, a nurse practitioner, and David, a teacher at Elm City Montessori, live a block away from the Fair Haven clinic. They have been involved with the clinic’s events to get people vaccinated, including a national-first door-to-door canvassing campaign earlier in the pandemic.
“We love this clinic, and we jumped on the opportunity to support all of the amazing work they do,” said Weinreb. “We really want to encourage parents to come in and get their kids vaccinated so that they, and all of us, are safer. Fair Haven provides the guidance and help necessary for every parent to make an informed decision.”
Weinreb told attendees that they were quickly able to schedule an appointment last week, two days after they decided to vaccinate Dalia. They waited in the clinic for only two minutes before Dalia got her shot. The clinic also scheduled her booster in one month.
“Parents like Marlene and David are the crux of our efforts,” said Becerra. “We want parents to be able to trust the vaccine and know that it is the safe thing to do for their children.”
(Click here for more information about Fair Haven Health and vaccinations.)
The event was also organized to inaugurate the National Diaper Bank Network’s partnership with HHS to encourage parents with young children to get vaccinated in the federal government’s “We Can Do This” initiative.
The National Diaper Bank Network was founded in New Haven in 2004 by Goldblum as the Diaper Bank. At first Goldblum held the bank in her living room and in 2011 expanded it into a national network at 255 different locations.
Under this new partnership the NDBN will work to disseminate information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines for young children and build trust in traditionally underserved communities like Fair Haven.
“We are so excited to join with HHS in this partnership,” said Goldblum. “I started the diaper bank because I thought something had to be done to help the many parents who couldn’t afford diapers and care. This partnership is just one more step to make sure every child in this nation has the ability to grow up safely and healthily.”
“I have worked with Joanne for years now and she’s someone I’m incredibly proud to call a friend,” said DeLauro. “Mr. Secretary you could not have picked a better partner to work with.”
DeLauro became the baby whisperer at the event playing with Dalia throughout the event.
Fair Haven Health CEO Suzanne Lagarde had a request for Becerra — to do more to ensure undocumented residents, including front-line workers, have access to health care, food, and stable housing.
“We need to do more to address the inequities inherent in our current system,” said Lagarde. “Many people in our community who were not citizens were on the front line. They fed us; they cleaned our houses; they provided sanitation for our streets in our cities. And many of us in the process paid the ultimate sacrifice. Now it’s our turn to reciprocate. So Mr. Secretary, as the intensity and urgency of this pandemic ebbs, I hope that you take back with you to Washington a little bit of the soul of this community. As Covid has demonstrated this community cares, and now we ask that our leaders do the same.”
Great job we need all the kids safe from this virus.omg David congratulations your child is beautiful god bless