The Building For Kids Children’s Museum in Appleton is going the extra mile to make the experience of young children getting their COVID-19 vaccinations easier on them and less stressful for their families.
As part of their campaign, staffers at the facility are now offering activity stations at community vaccine clinics as well as hosting a sensory-friendly clinic at the museum.
“We love being able to reach so many different families in our community, and all the different ages and if we can do something to make a child’s experience getting vaccinated a little bit better, that is something that we absolutely love to do,” Building for Kids staffer Casie Holdcroft told WBAY.com.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave the go ahead for COVID-19 shots to be administered to kids ages five to 11 under an emergency use authorization five months ago, vaccination rates for that group continue to lag far behind in Wisconsin and across the nation.
In hopes of being able to move more parents into having their children vaccinated, the museum has also released podcasts and blog conversations between health officials in the hopes of answering more of the questions parents may still have and to offer them greater support. The museum is now also offering a free three-month membership to anyone 12 or younger that participates in any community vaccine clinic.
“It takes the pressure off of them to solely support their child during this because it is a big moment in their life. And so having that outside support can make a world of difference to these kids and these parents that are going through this process,” Holdcroft said.
Back in 2021, the Communities for Immunity from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offered grant opportunities designed to provide funding for vaccine education at local museums, libraries and other cultural organizations, with The Building for Kids program receiving one just under $5,000. More recently, the museum received a grant for $27,000 as part of the $3.4 million in grants awarded by the DHS for vaccine equity efforts.
