For Early Childhood Partners

1. Design the clinic to minimize anxiety in young children. This may include:
• Short wait times before the vaccine is given
• Room dividers or multiple rooms so that children do not see other children getting a vaccine
• A “quiet room” for children who are nervous or have had bad experiences with needles
• Extra space at vaccine administration stations for parents and/or additional children
• Activities (e.g., consumable arts and crafts, bubbles, ring toss, etc.), a movie, or an outdoor space available for the observation period
2. Involve the parents:
• Allow parents to hold the child on their lap while the vaccine is being given
• Ask parents to bring comfort items or toys/books to support their child
• Have volunteers to help parents support their child or to help parents who attend with more than one child
3. Design a COVID-19 vaccine clinic with safety in mind to reduce the risk of dosage errors e.g.:
• Have separate preparation and administration areas for the different vaccines
• Have clinicians administer only one type/dose of vaccine at a time
• Setup separate lines and vaccine stations, depending on the type of vaccine
• Have signs showing which vaccine is being given at each station
• Use a color-coding system. Give vaccine recipients colored wristbands or stickers that match colored stickers on the vaccine syringes and/or vials. For example, the pediatric vaccine for 5–11-year-olds is labeled with an orange sticker so children ages 5-11 would receive an orange sticker at registration.)

Key Strategies for Promoting ECP Vaccine Clinics

1. Create and hand out vaccine clinic flyers.
2. Post flyers in key areas at your site, such as bulletin boards, and have copies available to take home. See sample flyers in the Resources section.
3. Send e-mails or letters to your community/family network. See sample letters you can use in the Resources section.
4. Share vaccine clinic event information and flyers on your websites and social media accounts. Create regular posts leading up to the event.
5. Make robocalls and/or send text messages to your network with vaccine clinic event information Be sure to send reminders before the event.
6. Hang promotional banners on site.
7. Notify all staff about the vaccine clinic. Encourage them to share information with their friends/family.
8. If you have an existing partnership with community-based organizations, local schools, or businesses, consider asking them to assist in promoting the event. (For example, canvas neighborhood or distribute flyers).

Sample Talking Points for Promoting the Vaccine Clinic

• COVID-19 vaccines are FREE and available to everyone 6 months and older. You will not be asked about your immigration status.
• The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective. The vaccine reduces the risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, ending up in the hospital, or dying. It also lowers your risk of getting long-COVID.
• The Fall updated (bivalent) bbooster doses are authorized for children age 5 and older. Booster doses are recommended for everyone age 5 and older at least 2 months after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose (either the final primary series dose or the last booster).
• Getting all recommended doses including booster doses provides the best protection. Click here for information about booster eligibility.
• Although studies have shown that COVID-19 in children can be mild, some children can become very ill or have long-lasting symptoms that affect their health and well-being in the long term. Getting vaccinated is much safer than the risks of getting sick with COVID-19.
• The vaccine is built on 20 years of research and science.
• After getting the vaccine
  • The most common side effects are pain in the arm where the vaccine was given, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever. Not everyone will get them.
  • Be sure to get all doses of the vaccine to get the best protection.

Additional Key Messages for parents can be found here