TORONTO — Stickers, superhero backdrops and screens are among the tools Ontario public health units will be using at COVID-19 vaccine clinics for babies and preschoolers when shots become available next week.
The province announced this week that supply of Moderna's vaccine for children aged six months to under five years old was being distributed in the coming days, and appointments could be booked starting next Thursday.
Public health units said Friday they were still sorting out the finer details for the rollout, but had specific kid-friendly plans in the works.
In York Region, the public health unit said separate, smaller clinics are being prepared for the youngest age group to make families "as comfortable as possible," with longer appointment times, private spaces, accommodations for breastfeeding parents and areas for strollers.
The clinics will also have colouring sheets and stickers on hand, some decorated with cartoons reminding children they are "'beary' brave ... for getting their vaccine," spokeswoman Jennifer Mitchell wrote in an email.
"Every effort will be made to reduce anxiety and needle-related fears for children," she said, noting that staff will also be trained with techniques to distract and support young kids.
Families are also encouraged to bring comfort items like blankets, stuffed animals and tablets.
Niagara Region Public Health said it would be trying to make the vaccination experience for young kids "as positive as possible" by allowing extra time for appointments, giving each child a small toy to keep them distracted during their shot, and having tablets with videos available for them to watch.
"Afterwards, they get a small gift to take home, and are encouraged to pose for photos on a superhero backdrop to emphasize they’ve made a heroic act to help fight this pandemic," the health unit said.
Niagara public health said it was also engaging with primary care doctors as many parents will likely want their child vaccinated by a physician who knows them.
Peterborough Public Health said its dedicated clinics for children aged six months to five years would give families extra time at their appointments to get comfortable and ask questions.
Huron Perth Public Health said it would run clinics exclusively for the youngest age group starting next Friday and offered some tips for parents ahead of time.
"We recommend parents/caregivers bring something along to help their child relax during their appointment, such as a favourite stuffy, a toy, or headphones and music," the health unit said in a news release.
The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa said it was finalizing dates and pre-registration details for its clinics that will vaccinate children who are immunocompromised, need extra time, or have medical complexities, difficulty with crowds or other medical factors.
Clinics at the hospital will be staffed with pediatric experts who will help work through children's concerns or needs, hospital spokesman Paddy Moore said.
The hospital stressed that the vaccines are safe and will help protect infants, young children and their families against COVID-19.
"We urge all parents and caregivers to fully vaccinate all your kids to protect them from the immediate and longer-term effects of a COVID infection," Moore said.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit said it would vaccinate children at mass clinics that had previously been adapted for children aged five to 11, and at its mobile clinics and at primary care offices.
A spokeswoman for the Ontario College of Family Physicians said public health units were expected to start receiving vaccine doses next week and family doctors would get supply a week or two after that.
Dr. Allan Grill, a family doctor based in Markham, Ont., said primary care providers have "long-standing, trusted, therapeutic relationships with families" who may have questions about the vaccine or want their child vaccinated in a familiar space.
"It's extremely important for us to be involved," he said.
Grill noted that demand for family doctor appointments is high right now as people catch up on delayed treatments and diagnoses. He said some family doctors may end up offering vaccinations at larger clinics and invite patients to meet them there, or host vaccinations in their offices on specific days.
He recommended that parents bring comfort items like toys to their child's appointments and choose a time of day that works well with their regular routine, and said people visiting larger clinics should ask for accommodations like partitions for privacy or more time if their child needs it.
"These clinics are very understanding, especially when it comes to kids," he said.
Ontario's pediatric vaccine rollout is ramping up as the province contends with a seventh wave of infections driven by the infectious BA.5 Omicron subvariant.
The most recent Public Health Ontario report on the virus up until July 16 said case rates were increasing in nearly all public health units, with case rates particularly high in the northwest.
Case rates had also risen across all age groups, the report said, with the highest increase among people aged 80 years and older, who saw a 56 per cent jump from the previous week.
Hospital admissions and outbreaks in high-risk settings had also risen, the report said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2022.
Holly McKenzie-Sutter, The Canadian Press
