Spaghetti and salad? An Aboriginal H1N1 Immunization Clinic Offers More than Just a Shot

Aboriginal Health and Public Health have been working with First Nations Health agencies and Aboriginal services to organize over 50 H1N1 immunization clinics since the last week in October. Expecting highly anxious groups of people at the clinics, staff and health workers were surprised by what they actually experienced. “It seems to be a bit of a party in here,” laughed Brian Muth, Community Engagement Coordinator, Aboriginal Health. “It is a social get-together in here. Everyone is chatting and catching up with each other.”

One-by-one or family-by-family, people were called in to a private room to get immunized. “Being able to bring people in to a room separate from everything else going on has really lowered peoples anxiety over getting the shot,” said Stefanie Dafoe, Manager, Health Services, Stó:lo Nation. “I just had an Elder look at me with a smile and say ‘that’s it? See you next year!’ I think the only thing he was anxious about was to get back out to the waiting room for lunch.” People waiting to get immunized were not only able to chat with friends but were also served breakfast snacks and offered spaghetti and salad for lunch.

The Aboriginal population was identified as a vulnerable population for H1N1 and given priority immunization. Because of this, Fraser Health Aboriginal Health experienced high anxiety from the First Nation and Metis community. The Aboriginal Health team has been working hard with community partners to alleviate this anxiety by facilitating multiple question and answer events and organizing the 50+ immunization clinics.  Their hard work was evident by the positive energy, smiles, and laughter experienced at the Stó:lo Nation clinic that day.