COVID-19 Vaccine Preparation: Alberta Parents Need to Know

Nationwide, children aged 5 to 11 roll up their sleeves for the COVID-19 vaccine within a few days.

Dr. Dina Hinsho, Alberta’s chief health doctor, said Alberta’s deployment plans will be announced on Tuesday.

Alberta Health said doses of Pfizer vaccine for children have not yet arrived in the state, but expect them to arrive soon, perhaps Tuesday.

“We hope parents will be able to book vaccines for their children later this week,” Alberta Health added.

“The pandemic has clearly had a huge impact on everyone,” said Katie Bernie, a clinical psychologist and associate professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine, Monday.

“I think many parents are really excited about the opportunity to provide their children with some of the protection given to adolescents and adults.”

However, there is a sense of tension for some children as well.

“About 60 percent of children in this age group have a fear of needles,” Bernie said.

“Some of them are really calm, a little nervous, and a little hesitant, but for about 5-10% of the population, it’s very serious. We might think of it as needle phobia. No, there they really have a very, very true anxiety reaction. “

Alberta’s Minister of Health, Jason Copping, said Alberta has about 390,000 children between the ages of five and eleven.

Parents do not know the full deployment plan until Tuesday, but Alberta Health has confirmed that children are immunized at the Alberta Health Services Clinic for the most part, not doctors or pharmacies, and some about the impact. I have concerns from my parents.

“Anyway, I’m grateful that the vaccine is here. I want to make sure that in the future AHS will expand to pharmacies and clinics and there are no barriers we can make. Just a little more widespread distribution. It’s easy to overcome, “said Calgary’s mother, Heather Moore.

“People are already more hesitant to vaccinate their children. Don’t make it harder to get to or just book.”

According to AH spokeswoman Lisa Glover, Alberta Health has a much smaller deployment and is “optimally managed through AHS’s dedicated clinic as a core provider.” “In addition, vaccines come in different doses and prescriptions, so all staff dealing with them need to be directed to it.”

“Some parents may prefer to work with pharmacists and doctors, but the small scale of 5 to 11 deployments has more than 1,400 pharmacies and hundreds of clinics in addition to AHS clinics. Not suitable for management, “Glover said.

Moore understands that logistics can be a concern, but is also worried about what it means for the child’s experience.

“My child’s anxiety isn’t ameliorated by waiting for his appointment, and probably I don’t hear other children worried and crying, too,” Moore said.

How can parents prepare their children?

Preparing children for the vaccine is about communication, Bernie said, and for most children, you can use a simple pain management strategy.

She advises parents to talk to their children before booking. “Don’t put it on your kids while driving into the clinic parking lot.”

She suggests planning a coping strategy with your child and deciding what works best for them.

Bernie said it could include listening to music, playing games on the phone, etc. while in line. She recommends planning when it’s time for the needle itself.

“It helps to talk about that distraction, its smartphone, games, moms and dads, or immune systems and the fun they can do.”

For younger children, she suggests that parents hug their children and sit on their mom’s or dad’s lap to help make them more comfortable.

Parents can also choose measures to minimize the sensation of the needle itself, such as applying a paralyzing cream before booking the vaccine.

However, even if the vaccine is finished, the work is not finished.

“Let’s talk and celebrate what went well!”

“Get out and get a donut, smoothie, ice cream, or something fun,” Bernie advises. “Focusing on what went well will help us to do well next time … and we know that it can further relieve pain and distress.”

For a small proportion of children with advanced phobia, Bernie said they are likely to need more planning and preparation to be vaccinated. She suggests reaching out to a medical professional to talk about the next steps.

She says that needle phobia tends to begin preschool, so most parents of children aged 5 to 11 now feel sensation if their children are terribly afraid of being vaccinated. I said there should be.