I spent 2 weeks on the mobile clinic, which... is kind of cool? Two fully equipped exam rooms, refrigerated medications, a mini crash cart, two nurses, two doctors, one med student and that goal to get every kid in Houston immunized.
After a while, you learn how to give vaccinations. The giving part is not nearly as bad as the consoling part, and every age group needs their own system.
 |
| Ridiculously cool. |
- Babies - no prep required. Snap your fingers in two different directions, flash your penlight so they reach for it, and the moment their hands go up - Bam! right in the Vastus lateralis.
- Little boys - little boys cry* far too much, almost more so than the girls. Just do it. They'll realize it wasn't so bad.
- Little girls - less crying**, but it's more dramatic. Minimal prep required, although they will need consoling afterwards. Stickers, pencils, hugs, what have you.
- Older (7-10 y/o) boys need reminding of how macho they are. Usually come in with slick gelled up hair. Dude you can't have hair like that and be afraid of this needle? Right? Jab.
- Older girls are a bit more mature than the older boys. Usually not problematic.
These schools we visited were much nicer than the one I went to, but I'm not so sure about the teachers. They also all ate fried crap for lunch so naturally there were kids that weighed more than me - > 165lbs.
Also, taco trucks and mexican bakeries galore. So cheap.
*: This type of cry being "my god this is going to hurt"
**: This type of cry being "I have accepted death as my fate"
