by Samantha Aitken
BC Children’s Hospital has opened Canada’s only drop-in immunization clinic. Vaccines are one the most successful achievements in medical history in preventing infectious diseases and saving lives. However, in our province, approximately 33% of children under the age of two haven’t been vaccinated or aren’t up to date on their recommended vaccination schedule. This is most concerning for children with complex medical conditions, as they are more vulnerable than the average child. That is why BCCH has started a storefront immunization clinic that is publicly funded and one of a few of its kind in the world. This clinic can be used by children, their siblings, extended family members, and caregivers. You can either make an appointment or drop by whenever you are in the hospital. This “whole family” approach focuses not only on protecting kids, but also everyone around them.
The clinic opened in October 2017 and has already seen over 2,000 patients and family members. Thanks to the new clinic, more flu shots were delivered to patients and families than in any other previous year. The clinic also provides immunization counselling to kids with complex conditions. ♥
“New Immunization Clinic” is from our summer 2018 newsletter, Heart Matters. See our Newsletters page for more stories and to subscribe.