For eight-year-old Kayson Baker of St. Thomas, being first feels pretty good. That’s first as in the first youngster in the 5 to 11 age bracket in the Southwestern Public Health region to receive a COVID-19 shot Wednesday afternoon at Memorial Arena.
His mother, Jessica, says Kayson “took it like a champ.”
As for Kayson, it was over before he knew it. He was preoccupied playing a video game.
As a reward he didn’t have to go back to class at Southwold Public School.
A healthcare worker in a long-term care home, Jessica says there are many reasons why parents may be reluctant to vaccinate their child, but she adds “people have to respect science.”
Laura Anguish, program manager at the health unit, says staff have been anxiously awaiting this day. She outlines the procedure to book a child’s appointment.
She advises approximately 17,000 children in the health unit region are eligible and, as of Wednesday afternoon, more than 3,000 appointments had been booked.
