‘Give It a Shot’

CLIFTON  Czarina Alfonso, 17, a parishioner of St. Philip the Apostle here, believes that vaccinations save lives. Her belief is so strong that protecting young children from serious illnesses has become her mission. A graduate of St. Philip Prep and currently a junior at the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, Alfonso is founder of “Give It a Shot,” a non-profit organization that provides pneumococcal vaccines to daycare-aged children in the Philippines. According to UNICEF data, pneumonia remains the leading cause of death among children under five, killing 2,400 children a day worldwide.

“As a first-generation Filipino American, I have been fortunate to visit the Philippines during my summer breaks and have witnessed that basic needs such as food, education and access to healthcare, which we take for granted here in the U.S., are not readily available,” said Alfonso. “Having seen my dad struggle with polio, I have seen firsthand the importance of vaccinations.”

Since 2017, Alfonso has been taking a stand against this preventable but sometimes fatal disease by raising money to give free pneumonia vaccines and traveling for the past two summers to the Philippines. With the help of her parents, who are both doctors here, and volunteers, Alfonso has set up a vaccination clinic at a daycare in Antipolo, Philippines. To date, 350 needy children have been vaccinated.

Because of her efforts, the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program named her as N.J.’s top high school volunteer for 2019. She was honored in the nation’s capital on May 5 for her outstanding contributions during the 24th annual awards ceremony. She received a $1,000 check at a ceremony and gala dinner reception held at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Initially, she conducted extensive research to determine which vaccine would be the most beneficial. She coordinated with local health officials in Antipolo to disseminate information about the vaccinations and obtain parental consent. Then, she found a local pediatrician to store the vaccine and to give the shots.

“Interacting with the children is the most memorable part [of the program],” Alfonso said. “Their smiles after receiving the vaccines and a lollipop will forever be on my mind. I remember a mother hugging me after her son and daughter were vaccinated. She explained how they walked two hours in the heat to come to the program. That made me realize how much of a difference ‘Give It a Shot’ was making. I always include this story in my presentations to others to emphasize how grateful we should be for providing something as small yet important as a vaccine.”

Following in her parents’ footsteps, Alfonso hopes to have a career in medicine. She plans to major in biology or biochemistry in college and pursue a pre-med track with the hope of attending medical school in the future.

She attributes her strong Catholic faith and Catholic education at St. Philip Prep and her high school education at Holy Angels for understanding the importance in serving others. “Attending Catholic schools and being taught the faith by my parents has been extremely influential in my views on community services. As a Catholic, I believe that my faith is of utmost importance to me and giving back to the community has enriched my spirituality in so many ways,” she said.

Alfonso will be returning to the Philippines in August for the “Give It a Shot” program. “Vaccines protect children from serious illnesses and are an extremely important part of the prevention process. The advances in vaccines provide everyone with the opportunity to potentially eradicate the disease through herd immunity. Unfortunately, when everyone is not immunized, the herd immunity is compromised and there can be an outbreak of preventable harmful illnesses.”