In an effort to immunize more children, Evanston’s Immunization Clinic extended its hours for five days during the spring season, but few families have taken advantage of the service.

“Since the program started, the attendance (after hours) has not been that great,” said Karen A. Seals, division chief at the clinic. “We are hoping the upcoming clinics will be more full once word has gotten out.”

Although the clinic has publicized the extended hours, clinic employee John Sturtevant said people are used to the clinic being open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and are not taking advantage of the new hours.

“Unfortunately, it does not seem to have had an appreciated affect,” Sturtevant said.

The Immunization Clinic extended its closing time to 7 p.m. on April 18, May 2, May 16, June 6 and June 20.

Clinic administrators said they extended the hours in order to target children younger than 2 and accommodate families with two working parents.

But some patients said they had not heard about the later hours.

“I didn’t even know they were having extended hours,” said Carma Bylond. “I only came because my insurance no longer covers immunization so my doctor told me to come here because it would be cheaper.”

Sturtevant said there is low turnout during the later hours because parents do not feel much pressure around this time of year to get their children immunized.

“We’ve gotten some extra numbers, twenty at most,” he said.

The clinic is busier in August and September, when schools send out letters students to let them know they are required to get immunization shots before they can enroll in school for the upcoming year, Sturtevant said.

As part of its push to immunize more children, the clinic now provides incentives for patients who start and complete the immunization program on time.

“We used a $3,000 grant given to us by the Illinois Department of Public Health to start a gift certificate program,” said Kay Khawprasert, a nurse at the clinic. “These gift certificates give an incentive to families with kids from (infancy) to 2 years to get their immunization.”

Every time a child comes in during his or her first two years, the clinic awards the family with a $10 gift certificate to a grocery store such as Jewel-Osco. At the end of the two years, if the family has completed the child’s immunization on time it receives a $50 gift certificate.

“This gift certificate program is not a bad deal,” Bylond said.