Ottawa health officials hope to put parents and kids at ease for the COVID-19 vaccine
Needles can be scary for children, so health officials in Ottawa are making plans for vaccination clinics, and the experience of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, to be as stress-free as possible.
And two days before the first doses will be administered to children, officials are offering tips for parents and children on what to expect and how to prepare for the shot.
When clinics across the city open on Friday to offer children ages five to 11 a COVID-19 vaccine, Ottawa Public Health will be ready to welcome families into a warm and caring environment. There will be posters and stickers for children, and perhaps even a lollipop.
Public health nurse Katie Souliere has more than a decade of experience immunizing children and is helping to create the friendly atmosphere.
"Fear not, there’s going to be lots there for kids," says Souliere. “We’re going to have a selfie station which has some vaccine superheroes you can take your child’s picture at and they can share with their friends."
When the time arrives for children to roll-up their sleeve, it may not be picture-perfect and Souliere has some advice to help quell kids worries.
"The parents do such a huge role and such a good job at keeping their child calm and comfortable," says Souliere. "For children who have a little more fear of the pain of the injection which only feels like a pinch don’t tell them it won’t hurt, say it will feel like a little pinch. Being honest is important."
Distractions are a good idea too. Kids can benefit from having their favourite stuffy, toy or blanket. Listening to music or watching videos on a tablet or phone.
Souliere also suggests that if your child is on the younger side of the age group, try not to tell them about the vaccination appointment too far in advance as it can cause added stress and anxiety. On the other hand, older kids can benefit from earlier notice.
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario has created a video with kids, for kids to explain the process of vaccination, as well as to provide coping strategies, as well as other resources for parents.
Children in the video list the three steps to getting a shot and answer some questions that they may have.
CHEO child life specialist Maryse Deslaurier can answer the questions, as well as provide other useful tips, especially for kids who may have a phobia of needles.
"Hand breathing, so you use your hand and you take a big deep breath in and you move your finger up your finger stop at the top for two seconds and you exhale and you follow your fingers all the way through," says Deslaurier. "At the end of it you’ve taken five deep breaths it’s helped you calm your body down it’s given you some time to regroup."
When it’s time for the shot, Deslaurier says to think about pizza.
“By the time you thought about all the favourite toppings you want to put on your pizza your vaccines over,” she says, adding this final tip. “Sometimes if you’re feeling scared it’s hard to do so you gotta celebrate that you did something that was difficult.”
So kids, be sure to get your treat when it's over.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.