From cats to goats, including Christmas decorations and playful hats, a vaccination clinic in Longueuil spared no efforts to reduce children’s anxiety on Saturday, much to the relief of several parents who were motivated to contribute. in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few dozen parents and year-old children lined up inside the Espace Rodi, a vaccination center located on Boulevard Marie-Victorin, during the passage of the To have to at 1 p.m., Saturday. The 425 appointments that were available on Saturday on this site were also all booked upstream, a sign of the enthusiasm generated by the expansion of the vaccination campaign to young people from 5 to 11 years old, earlier this week.
Many efforts have also been made to reduce the worry of children on the spot. Christmas decorations notably litter the walls of the vaccination clinic, while nurses proudly wear a playful hat reminiscent of Santa’s elves. The highlight of the show – we hardly forget that it is a vaccination campaign – nevertheless lies in the presence of a black cat, called “Mouse” and a goat with a diaper called ” Croquette ”. An initiative, inspired by zootherapy, which pleased both children and their parents.
” This is exceptional. They can pet a cat and… a goat, which is pretty harmless! The staff are also very youth-friendly and that is great for children. I think it gives them confidence, ”says Yohann Martel, moments after his 7-year-old son Édouard received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Such “distractions” also make it possible to shorten the time necessary to vaccinate children, which thus reduces the risk that they will develop anxiety before receiving a dose, explains the head of program administration. public health officer responsible for the vaccination component at the Integrated Health and Social Services Center of Montérégie-Est, Joanie Garand.
“Parents, we are going to talk to them a little longer while the child, we have to make it a little more concise if we want to prevent him from having anxiety and that it creates crises,” he explains. she. However, she recognizes that it is very rare that so many measures are put in place to immunize children. However, the context of the pandemic is a game-changer, according to her.
“We are aware that this vaccination campaign can cause more anxiety among parents and children can also feel it at this level,” she underlines. According to surveys conducted in schools in Montérégie, approximately 30% of parents are currently undecided as to whether or not they intend to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, indicates Mme Garand.
“If we want to start living again, well we have to do our part […] We must protect ourselves as a family and protect our loved ones too, ”said mother Viviana Camacho, whose son Mateo was vaccinated in this clinic on Saturday.
“We want things to move forward and get out of it all, stop having a mask in your face and try to find a more normal life”, launches for her part Jessica Lavoie.
The Quebec government also wants as many children as possible to be vaccinated before Christmas, in order to avoid an acceleration in the growth of COVID-19 cases on the sidelines of this festive period.
“We want to prevent [les enfants] are vectors of transmission in future gatherings, ”says Joanie Garand.
Earlier this week, the Quebec Immunization Committee officially recommended an eight-week interval between the granting of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Children who received an injection on Saturday were therefore invited to receive their next dose on January 22.