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home / 世界杯决赛2022

now it's their turn: quebec youngsters start getting covid-19 vaccine

on the first day of eligibility, 75 children between the ages of six months and five years were booked for the shot at the vaccination centre at décarie square on monday.

by katelyn thomas

jul 26 2022
read time 3 minute read
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a section of the covid-19 vaccination centre at décarie square doubled as an entertainment centre for children on monday, the first day the shot became available for quebec’s youngest residents .

a total of 75 children between the ages of six months and five years — for whom health canada approved two quarter doses of the moderna vaccine earlier this month — were booked for the shot at the centre on monday.

“it’s slow a little bit today, it’s the first week of the construction vacation, but i’m sure it’s going to pick up over the next few weeks,” said lucie tremblay, the director of nursing and vaccination for the ciusss du centre-ouest-de-l’île-de-montréal, which oversees the site.
children were distracted with bubbles, stuffed animals, stickers and cartoons in an effort to ease the experience for them — all of which appeared to work.
“i was waiting for her to cry, but she didn’t,” vincent garneau said of his four-year-old daughter, simone, who spent her post-vaccine waiting period colouring.
garneau said he has been waiting for a long time to get simone vaccinated against covid-19, describing it as “an insurance policy.”
“we see that it’s not 100 per cent, but it’s for the future,” he said. “and it’s also a question of respect for everyone who works in the health-care system.” 
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nadia mimouni, whose two-and-a-half-year-old son, vincent, also got the vaccine on monday, said the approval came just in time, as vincent is starting daycare in september.
“it’s kind of a relief because we were wondering is he going to get covid or not,” she said. “he finally got a shot, so there’s less chances he’s going to get covid.”
chris zimmerman, vincent’s father, added: “it’s just good to know that there’s less chance of severe illness.”
about six people were vaccinating children at the centre on monday, which tremblay said could include a mix of nurses, doctors, midwives and other such professionals — the only ones who are eligible to vaccinate younger children.
“we revised our process because you’re not doing it the same way with the little kids that you would do it even with the older kids,” tremblay said. “the way that we hold them, the way that we do the vaccination. and it’s not the same professionals that can do it — so we revised the entire process to make sure, also, that the kids would feel safe when they’re coming here with their parents, and it’s as good as it can be.”
tremblay said there was no expectation as to how many families would book vaccine appointments at her ciusss during the first week, especially as it coincides with quebec’s construction holiday, but that it prepared “for everything.”
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“we made sure that we had an offer that the population could grab,” she said. “so overall, we have an offer of 1,300 appointments available per week.” 
federal health minister jean-yves duclos took to twitter on monday to encourage quebec parents to get their children vaccinated.
“(it) not only protects them, but also contributes to the safety of our communities by preventing the spread of covid-19,” he said.
a recent poll by quebec’s public health institute reported 44 per cent of parents of children four and under intended to have their youngsters vaccinated against covid-19, 40 per cent intended not to and 16 per cent were unsure. the data was collected between june 24 and july 6.
according to statistics canada data from 2021, there are more than 420,000 children four and under in quebec.

vaccine appointments can be made at clicsante.ca .

kthomas@postmedia.com
twitter.com/katelynthomas

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katelyn thomas, montreal gazette
katelyn thomas, montreal gazette

i have been reporting on a range of news at the montreal gazette since 2021, with a particular interest in social issues and human interest stories.

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