Regina Registered Nurse Heather Flynn said she was so excited to book a vaccine appointment for her 17-year-old son once he qualified last week that she overlooked one major thing: She didn’t talk to him about it first.
She said, “I didn’t talk to him. I just told him, ‘You have booked your vaccine, and you’re going to get it.” “Maybe not the best idea on my part, because he felt trapped.”
Flynn just assumed that the teen would be eager to get a COVID-19 vaccine – like his older brother and his parents – but soon discovered he was hesitant to get the vaccine. Her son did not want to talk about his concerns with CBC News, but Flynn said he was concerned about the information he had gathered on social media and from friends.
“Boy, did I just want to hold him and take him to the vaccination clinic and sit on him. But can I do that? No.”
The The age of consent varies Across the country. In Saskatchewan, for example, anyone aged 13 or over can Legally choose or reject Vaccine without parental involvement.
Flynn shares her experience by encouraging other parents and public health experts to start an “open conversation” with children about whether they have concerns or questions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
Some infectious disease experts say it is important to recognize that a vaccine is hesitant – whether it is felt by the young person or his parents – and that people under the age of 18 should have direct access to reliable and reliable information so they can decide for themselves whether the vaccine is safe. And necessary.
The group answers questions in 20 different languages
Chief Clinical Microbiology at Royal University of Saskatoon Hospital, Joseph Blondeau, agreed to field questions from children about side effects, enhanced footage and clinical trials during a live broadcast hosted by CBC Saskatchewan last week.
When fifth grader Sarah Campbell asked him this question – “Can we achieve herd immunity without vaccinating children under 12 years old?” – Blondo said this is unlikely and he took the opportunity to encourage all children to be “part of the solution.”
It is important to encourage conversations with children about vaccinations, to take their questions seriously and to investigate the root of any concern, said Kara Benz Tramer, director of the Public Health Unit at the Saskatchewan Health Authority.
“You hear them, hear their question and then you can ask questions … Is it related to them? Is it about their family? Is it a question about trying to return to the new normal?”
She said parents and educators do their best to answer questions, but they should not be afraid of reaching out to doctors who keep pace with scientific progress and change guidelines.
In Alberta, a group of pediatricians has started a virtual clinic to hesitate to vaccinate parents and children so that families can reach out to medical experts to answer questions. Nationally, COVID-19 Resources CanadaAvailability, a popular initiative initiated by scholars in March 2020 Zoom vaccine questions and answers sessions In 20 different languages for any group you order.
“Over the past several weeks, we have seen a massive uptake in requests from schools to offer sessions for their students when they become eligible to receive vaccinations,” said Adrienne Caldwell, program director at COVID-19 Resources Canada.
Dr. Alex Wong, an infectious disease physician at Regina General Hospital and father of three, recently volunteered to answer children’s questions on Twitter and was shocked by the teachers’ request.
It has escalated to the point that it hosted a virtual forum last week for 12-14 year olds from about 80 classrooms.
“It is important for us to acknowledge that children are smart and have a lot of questions,” he said. “We want to treat their level of knowledge with respect and talk to them like adults, who are primarily responsible for making the best decisions for themselves and their health.”
Help others, and regain freedom
Wong said some children are not as enthusiastic about getting the vaccine because they realize that people of their age generally do not get sick as adults with COVID-19. He said he believed in this case that the most effective messages encourage them to have the opportunity to help others and regain their freedom.
Heather Flynn admits that she was frustrated by her son’s reluctance to get vaccinated, especially because she is a nurse who had a very difficult year at Pasqua Hospital in Regina. However, she and her husband decided that they should start an “open discussion” with their son.
The couple spent hours searching the medical journals investigating the answers to any of his questions, and they also turned to medical professionals for expert advice. Flynn connected her son to a pediatrician.
“Because he’s coming from us, it’s” mom, mom, mom, “she said, rolling her eyes to imitate how teenagers can ignore their parents.
Flynn said her son has tentatively agreed to get a vaccine, but he’s not completely ready yet.
“So we’re holding back and giving him a little bit of time [yet] “She is still answering the questions. We want to teach him that he has to make informed and educated choices in his life.”
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