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First-ever 'Junior Jabapalooza' helps immunize 500 children

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The first ever Junior Jabapalooza helped give first and second doses to more than 500 kids in Ottawa.

The clinic was Ottawa family physician Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth’s latest so-called “Jabapalooza” event- but the first for those aged five to 11.

The mass vaccination clinic was held at Mutchmor Public School in the Glebe Monday and was done in collaboration with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. All 500 appointments were booked, but walk-ins were accepted as well.

Kaplan-Myrth said extra steps were made for kids who needed special accommodations to get their shots.

“We had a couple of kids who drove by today with autism disorder so they needed someone to come out and give them their shot and we have someone else who is coming by in a car with mobility issues, and other kids in the neighbourhood and around town who need a shot, we will try to accommodate. It is a cold day, and we don’t want any line-ups!”

Kids were given a pediatric Pfizer dose- a smaller dose than the one given to adults.

Kaplan-Myrth has held numerous vaccination events for adults but says this one is important to help get kids back into schools as soon as possible.

“I think this is a step to get kids back to school when it is safe to go back,” she says. “Vaccines are one step in that. We are giving shots today and that means in a couple of weeks they are going to have the benefit in that, so we need to make sure everybody has had the opportunity to get their first and second doses, and we need to make sure that everyone has access to N95 masks and rapid tests. There are many layers as to what will make schools safe.”

Megan Brassard took her six-year-old son Hudson to get his second dose. “It was important to have Hudson fully vaccinated. This was his second dose today, so we were super proud of how brave he was doing his part to keep everybody safe!”

Brassard says this is the push that is needed to get kids back to in-person learning.

“As a teacher myself I would like to be back and I would like the kids to be back too.”

Hudson says the vaccine didn’t even hurt.

“I had a vaccine and I was brave; I didn’t even cry.”

He says he knows why getting the vaccine is important.

“So I don’t get sick!”

Kaplan-Myrth says she would consider holding another Junior Jabapalooza to help get more kids their shots.

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