Gifts and hugs for children at vaccination site
A nurse gives a girl a lollipop after receiving a shot.
Lollipops, balloons and even singing and dancing were presented at the Sanjiang Road vaccination site on Saturday, the first day Shanghai offered COVID-19 shots for children aged between 3 and 5 years old.
Children in this age group are mainly kindergarten students, who went to designated sites after making reservations with their parents or guardians.
"To relive children's anxiety, we made special preparation," said Zhou Xia, a medical staff member at the Sanjiang Road site in Xuhui District.
"In addition to paediatricians and psychologists on stand-by, we have prepared small toys, lollipops and cartoon stick paper to encourage children. Actors dressed as cartoon characters also sing and dance with children, who are undergoing the 30-minute observation time, to cheer them up."
The boy cries while receiving an injection.
The site serviced about 800 minors, mainly kindergarten students, on Saturday. Another 800 children have reserved the shots for Sunday.
There are only two sites specially for minors to receive COVID-19 vaccination in Xuhui District.
"Since our site is specially for minors, we have made proper preparation for the task and make the decoration, process and service cozy and convenient for minors and their parents," said Chen Chen from Shanghai 8th People's Hospital, which is in charge of the Sanjiang Road site.
A mother, with her 3-year-old son, expressed her satisfaction and gratitude to all medical staff and service persons in the site.
"All people are very kind and nice to children," she said. "The nurse calmed my son and ensured she was very gentle while giving the injection. Receiving the shots is a protection for children under the current pandemic."
The mother helps her 3-year-old son receive an injection.
Shanghai announced the COVID-19 vaccination plans for children between the ages of 3-5 on Wednesday. Reservations started on Thursday. Parents or guardians can make reservations on Shanghai's health cloud app Jiankangyun, or the city's public service platform Suishenban.
Vaccines currently available are developed by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd and Sinovac Biotech.
All need two shots with an interval of three to eight weeks.
Vaccination plans for children of this age group from Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign countries will be announced later.
A nurse uses a wand to guide children to the 30-minute medical observation area after injection.
Actors dressed as cartoon characters interact with children.
A boy gets a hug from a bear.
