The mobile clinics provide school-required immunizations, including Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), at no cost. The program is aimed at helping families in underserved communities, where families can face barriers to preventive care.

“Preparing for a successful school year starts with protecting children’s health,” said Arthur Cho, MD, medical director of COACH for Kids. “Our Back-to-School immunization campaign brings recommended vaccines directly into the communities we serve, making it easier for families to get their children ready for the classroom.”

COACH for Kids delivers free medical services to children from birth through age 18 in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles.

COACH for Kids Mobile Medical Unit August Calendar

All clinics run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are closed from noon to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 11
Charles Drew Middle School
8511 Compton Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

Wednesday, Aug. 12
Edison Middle School
6500 Hooper Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

Thursday, Aug. 13
Audubon Middle School
4120 11th Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90008

Monday, Aug. 17
Gompers Middle School
234 E. 112th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90061

Tuesday, Aug. 18
Miramonte Elementary School
1400 E. 68th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

Wednesday, Aug. 19
Parmelee Avenue Elementary School
1338 E. 76th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90001

Thursday, Aug. 20
Alliance Virgil Roberts Leadership Academy & Alliance Renee and Meyer Luskin Academy High School
2941 W. 70th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90043

Monday, Aug. 24
74^th Street Elementary School
2112 W. 74th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90047

Tuesday, Aug. 25
93rd Street Elementary School
330 E. 93rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90003

Wednesday, Aug. 26
Raymond Avenue Elementary School
7511 Raymond Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90044

Thursday, Aug. 27
99th Street Elementary School
9900 Wadsworth Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90002

Monday, Aug. 31
Nevin Avenue Elementary School
1569 E. 32nd St.
Los Angeles, 90011

MEDIA CONTACT

Media interested in attending a COACH for Kids clinic must coordinate in advance with Cedars-Sinai External Communications. Please contact: Melissa Vizcarra | melissa.vizcarra@cshs.org | 719-502-5001

From vaccines like DTaP and MMR to full physical exams, COACH for Kids brings Cedars-Sinai care to local schools and community centers.

“These vaccines protect against childhood preventable illnesses—measles, chickenpox, pneumonia, meningitis,” said Arthur Cho, MD, medical director of COACH for Kids and director of the Pediatric Hospitalist Program at Guerin Children's. “In the past, we saw high rates of these infections. Today, because of vaccines, we rarely see them. When children aren’t vaccinated, they’re at greater risk of getting sick, ending up in the hospital, or even worse.”

The Cedars-Sinai Newsroom spoke with Cho and COACH for Kids nurse practitioner Anne Traynor, RN, about why vaccinations are critical, how the mobile unit is improving families’ health and access to care, and what families need to bring to the clinic to get their children vaccinated.

What vaccines are required for school entry?

Traynor: Kids entering transitional kindergarten need boosters for measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio. This includes the DTaP vaccine—given to younger children—which protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Older children, especially 11-year-olds and teens, receive the Tdap booster, which offers continued protection against the same three illnesses but in a smaller dose appropriate for adolescents and adults. It’s not just one age group; we’re vaccinating children from birth through age 18.

What’s your message for parents who are hesitant about vaccines?

Cho: I understand the concerns. But we’ve studied these vaccines for decades. Side effects are generally mild—fever or some swelling—but the alternative is far worse. These diseases still exist and can be deadly. Getting vaccinated protects your child and others in the community.

The consequences can be severe. Take measles as an example. We used to have 500,000 cases and hundreds of deaths annually in the U.S. before the vaccine. Though measles was declared eradicated here in 2000, recent vaccine hesitancy has led to outbreaks again. Measles can cause serious complications like meningitis, encephalitis and even death.

What challenges do families face when their children need vaccination?

Traynor: Access is the biggest issue. Even with Medi-Cal, parents may struggle to get an appointment, lack transportation, or be unable to take time off work. That’s where COACH comes in—we meet them where they are. We come to you, and we go to schools and WIC centers. (Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a special supplemental nutrition program.)

Cho: We serve dozens of schools and community sites, especially in South L.A., bringing primary care and vaccines into neighborhoods. It’s our mission to make healthcare accessible. Many families are working hard and can’t make it to a traditional clinic—we bring the clinic to them.

We’re here to serve, without judgment. We want to make sure children are safe and healthy enough to return to school.

How long will COACH offer back-to-school vaccinations?

Traynor: We’re out in the community throughout August and beyond. We provide everything a regular clinic does, but we’re in their neighborhood. There’s no copay, and we help families connect to a regular clinic for long-term care.

We ask that parents bring their child’s immunization record if they have it. If not, you can often find it in the California Immunization Registry or access it through their school or prior clinic.

COACH for Kids Mobile Medical Clinic—August 2025 Schedule

All clinics open from 9 a.m.–3 p.m., unless noted. Closed daily from 12–1 p.m.

• Thursday, Aug. 14—Audubon Middle School, 4120 11th Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90008
• Monday, Aug. 18—Alliance Virgil Roberts Leadership Academy & Luskin Academy HS, 2941 W. 70th St., Los Angeles, CA 90043
• Tuesday, Aug. 19—Normandie Avenue Elementary School, 4505 S. Raymond Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90037
• Wednesday, Aug. 20—6th Avenue Elementary School, 3109 6th Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90018
• Thursday, Aug. 21 (9 a.m.–4 p.m.)—Northgate Gonzalez Market, 944 E. Slauson Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90011
• Monday, Aug. 25—WIC Manchester, 250 E. Manchester Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90003
• Tuesday, Aug. 26—WIC Florence, 501 E. Florence Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90003
• Wednesday, Aug. 27—Raymond Avenue Elementary, 7511 Raymond Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90044
• Thursday, Aug. 28—Edison Middle School, 6500 Hooper Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90001

For more information about COACH for Kids or to find the nearest clinic location, visit Cedars-Sinai.org or call the COACH for Kids hotline at 888-926-2249.

Read more in the Cedars-Sinai Magazine: Underserved Communities Have a COACH in Their Corner

“Cancer patients are a vulnerable population,” said Jane Figueiredo, PhD, director of Community Health and Population Research at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study. “Their immune systems can be weakened by their disease and the treatments they receive, which is why major health organizations recommend that these patients be vaccinated against COVID-19. Our study supports these recommendations. We used real-world data across four major health systems in the U.S. to show that these booster vaccines reduce the risk of hospitalization and severe illness.”

Investigators analyzed data on more than 161,000 patients treated for cancer during 2022 and 2023 at Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Northwell Health, and the Veterans Health Administration.

The data showed COVID-19 boosters reduced cancer patients’ hospitalizations and ICU admissions by 29% and prevented one hospitalization or ICU admission for every 150-166 boosted patients.

“The reduction in hospitalizations was significant, and the number of patients we needed to treat to see a benefit to the boosters is quite low,” said Figueiredo, who is also program leader of Cancer Prevention and Control at Cedars-Sinai. “This shows a great benefit to our cancer patients and should encourage patients to discuss vaccination with their healthcare providers.”

Figueiredo noted that among their sample, the percentage of patients receiving boosters was quite low. By Jan. 1, 2022, 68% had received a booster. And after updated boosters targeting more than one COVID-19 strain had become available, only 38% of patients had received one.  

“Whether this is due to patient concerns about safety or provider uncertainty about whether to administer a vaccine during treatment is not clear,” Figueiredo said. “What is clear is that we need to advocate strongly for vulnerable groups, including cancer patients, to receive these vaccines.”

Figueiredo noted that the COVID-19 pandemic was the first opportunity for investigators to examine data on mRNA vaccines, and five years later there is still much to learn about the effectiveness of these vaccines in various populations.

“This is the largest study to date of COVID-19 booster effectiveness in cancer patients, a high-risk population of critical importance,” said Robert Figlin, MD, interim director of Cedars-Sinai Cancer. “It adds substantially to our understanding of the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, and we will undertake additional studies as vaccine formulations change and new variants emerge so that we can make recommendations that best protect the health of our patients.”

Figueiredo’s team is preparing to publish vaccine effectiveness data on patients with autoimmune diseases and patients who have undergone solid organ transplants.

“There are several different groups whose immune systems have been affected in different ways, which gives us an opportunity to expand further our understanding of how these vaccines work,” Figueiredo said.

Additional Cedars-Sinai authors include Elham Kazemian, PhD; Karen L. Reckamp, MD; and Akil Merchant, MD.

Additional authors include Jacek Skarbinski, MD; Eric P. Elkin, MPH; Yonah C. Ziemba, MD; Brigid M. Wilson, PhD; Hinnah Siddiqui, MPH; Cheryl B. Schleicher, MS; Crystal A. Hsiao, MPH; Joshua R. Nugent, PhD; James M. Crawford, MD, PhD; David A. Zidar, MD, PhD; and Lawrence H. Kushi, ScD.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Cancer Institute Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet) [U01CA260584 to JS and LHK; U01CA260513 to DZ; 2UG1CA189850-09S1 to YCZ, CBS, JMC; 3U54CA260591-02S3 to JF], the Physician Researcher Program of The Permanente Medical Group Delivery Science and Applied Research Program (JS), and the United States Veteran Administration (COVID19-8900-05 to DZ).

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