Scared of needles? Here's what Toronto clinics are doing to make kids' vaccinations more fun
Ontario families can now book COVID-19 vaccine appointments for children aged five to 11-years-old. While appointments may be available and children eligible to receive the shot as early as Thursday, fears surrounding needles can operate as barriers to kids receiving their vaccinations.
To combat these fears, vaccine clinics all over Toronto are attempting to make the experience of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine dose a bit more fun for young children.
One Toronto hospital has even set up a special “kids’ zone” to alleviate anxiety surrounding vaccines.
“It's a dedicated space that’s kid-friendly,” Upasana Saha, director of integrated health systems and partnerships at Humber River Hospital (HRH), told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.
“They have projectors playing kid movies like Frozen,” she said. “It's a little bit more fun.”
The kids’ zone also separates the children’s administration sites from the adults, so that kids don’t have to watch adult strangers receive their vaccines. Of course, parents and guardians can accompany their children into the kids’ zone.
“It's a more private space so that the kids are separated from the adults that are getting the vaccine — that's also to lower some of the anxieties that they may have about getting the vaccine,” Saha said.
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT VACCINES
The hospital has also prepared a document recommending a few things that can help prepare your child for a COVID-19 vaccine.
“You know your child best, so please do and say what you know will help your child keep calm and help them through this,” the hospital says.
They say it is important to communicate to your child where they are going when you head off to the clinic and what they can expect when they get there.
“Validate your child’s thoughts, feelings and emotions,” the hospital says on their website. It also advises communicating to your child that the procedure will only last three to five seconds.
Avoid the words “shot” or “needle,” says the hospital, and, instead, opt for non-threatening language such as “vaccination.”
Lastly, the hospital recommends planning something fun for you and your child to do after they’ve received their vaccination.
TORONTO HOPES TO MAKE KIDS FEEL LIKE SUPERHEROES
The City of Toronto wants kids to feel like superheroes when it’s their time to roll up their sleeves and get a vaccination.
Children showing up to a city-run clinic will follow “animal print footsteps” on the floor, which will guide them through the clinic.
“As part of this kid-friendly approach, five to 11-year-olds will be greeted with a superhero vaccine clinic “passport” upon their arrival at the City’s vaccination clinics,” a statement released by the city says.
City-run clinics will also give away free stickers, hand out free colouring sheets and offer children the chance to have their pictures taken at “superhero selfie stations.”
A spokesperson for Toronto Public Health told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday that "clinic flow has been modified to allow for more time with each child and family at the vaccine station" and that "each clinic also has quiet, low-stimulation rooms available upon request."
Toronto City Councillor and Chair of Toronto's Board of Health Joe Cressy wants kids to feel special when its their time to get their vaccine.
“Kids across Toronto will have a chance to roll up their sleeves and be a real superhero," Cressy said in a statement issued by the city.
"We've learned an important lesson about fun," he said. "We've helped millions of Torontonians get their shots with DJs, live music, even events that set world records.”
“Getting a vaccine is an act of civic duty, it's about protecting yourself and your city—but it should also be a celebration. It should be fun."
Appointments are now available to be booked at the following Team Toronto Kids clinics:
- Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W., North Building, Hall A
- Cloverdale Mall, 250 The East Mall
- Scarborough Town Centre, 300 Borough Dr.
- Mitchell Field Community Centre, 89 Church Ave.
- Woodbine Mall, 500 Rexdale Blvd.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Nine suspects arrested in $24M gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport: Peel police
Nine people have been arrested in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year, Peel Regional Police said Wednesday.
Some of the winners and losers in the 2024 federal budget
With a variety of fiscal and policy measures announced in the federal budget, winners include small businesses and fintech companies while losers include the tobacco industry and Canadian pension funds.
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
O.J. Simpson was chilling with a beer on a couch before Easter, lawyer says. 2 weeks later he was dead
O.J. Simpson's last robust discussion with his longtime lawyer was just before Easter, at the country club home Simpson leased southwest of the Las Vegas Strip. About a week later, on April 5, a doctor said Simpson was 'transitioning.'
Father of boy accused of stabbing 2 Australian clerics saw no signs of extremism, Muslim leader says
The father of a boy accused of stabbing two Christian clerics in Australia saw no signs of his son’s extremism, a Muslim community leader said on Wednesday as police began arresting suspected rioters who besieged a Sydney church demanding revenge.
500 Newfoundlanders wound up on the same cruise and it turned into a rocking kitchen party
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
Liberals must now sell a budget they say will help younger Canadians catch up
It's now up to the federal Liberal government to sell a spending plan it says will help younger Canadians catch up to their elders.
Ontario woman out $30K after investing in mortgage company accused of being unlicensed
An Ontario nurse is fighting to recover tens of thousands of dollars in savings she invested in a mortgage company that has since been accused of operating without a licence.
Canada is expected to win 22 medals at the Paris Olympics
Canada is expected to win a total of 22 medals, including six gold, at the Paris Summer Olympics, which open on July 26.