Children between ages 5 and 11 around the country have been getting their COVID-19 vaccine shots, so area providers have been trying to make the experience more kid-friendly.
When Philadelphia's Department of Public Health had its first pediatric vaccine clinic Thursday in East Germantown, Cydni Walker was one of the nurses giving the shots.
"It's been actually going really well," said Walker. "We've had a few that are a little scared of vaccines, but we have a little teddy bear named Tim."
Walker said they use the stuffed animal to show the kids where they're getting the shot. "It's like a diversion tool," she explained. "Kind of gives kids the ability to see and touch what is gonna happen when they're getting vaccinated."
Six-year-old Hattie Morin was a fan and shared her experience with her friends. "It's only like a little pinch, so if you ever get at the place that I got it at, you can always hold Tim the Bear," she assured.
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Tim definitely helped Dana Garnett's kids get through their shots. They're looking forward to traveling for the holidays, back to their home state of Texas.
"We have not have been able to go in the last year because of the pandemic,"
said Garnett, "and we made a promise that once we were fully vaccinated that we would go."
Seven-year-old Liz from Collegeville was a little nervous before she got her shot, so she got to pick a toy to get her through it. "I got a pink stressball," she said. "And when I got out, I got two Butterfingers."
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Over at Centennial Pharmacy Services, President Lyndsay Dymowski Constantino -- a mother herself -- said they're still waiting for doses, but they have ideas in mind.
"Maybe we put on a little bit of a TV show," she said. "We of course have our lollipops ready, and anything that we can do to make sure that their experience is much more comfortable than any other environment is our goal."
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