I am a healthcare worker who is giving out flu and COVID vaccines this fall season. I've been doing this for the past 3 years and I want people to be aware of some local and free resources for anyone who is hesitant about getting injections due to various reasons.

Do note that I am not an expert in this field nor am I sponsored. Just a health care worker trying to avoid having to pin children down and jabbing them. I feel absolutely terrible every time I am forced to do it.

My first recommendation is: https://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/card . This is an AMAZING resource for parents, kids, adults, and health care workers. They have compiled a bunch of resources to teach about how an injection works, gives tips about talking to kids about vaccines, what to expect at clinics, resources for clinics, etc. This is my go to every time I have a hesitant child.

Second: Lidocaine cream or patches. Most people go with Emla. They are available at your local pharmacy. But be mindful! They need to be applied 30-60 minutes before the injection. Check the packaging or ask the pharmacist or pharmacy technician. Location is also super important so also ask the pharmacy team where to place it (areas may vary based on the type of injection or procedure).

Third: This one is to help anyone that faints during or after an injection. It is super simple. When you are in the chair for the vaccine, tense all your muscles in your lower body (everything below the waist) while keeping everything else loose (like a noodle 😆). Do this until your face feels flush or warm then release for 10-20 seconds and restart. Do this until the vaccine is over.

Fourth: Don't feel comfortable in a chair? We can do it on the floor if you want. We can basically do whatever makes you more comfortable.

Fifth: Buzzy Bee. Some clinics may have a vibration device to trick the nerves in the injection area. The cold ice pack also reduces the pain. You leave it on for 5-10 minutes prior to injection.(If the clinic doesn't have one or if you want to get one, I've included a link)

https://a.co/d/00PO5p7p

Sixth: Call the injection clinic and see what other resources they can provide. Many clinics are happy to help you and come up with a plan to make it a more comfortable experience.

Seventh: The IWK has a BILLION resources for kids (many apply to adults) about injections and pain. Try googling "injection hesitant IWK" and resources will pop up.

I hope I've helped at least one person with my splurge of information.

From a healthcare worker who wants less injection hesitant people in the world. ❤️

Anyone else having trouble getting a flu shot or COVID shot? In Truro there are basically 0 spots at any pharmacy! Do they pop up throughout the day does anyone know? I don’t want to book two months out at this point!

Canada's Gripen Es to be built by Nova Scotia company.

> During recent visits to zones within the Cape Breton Highlands where moose were most likely to be found, members of the Port Morien Wildlife Association (PMWA) documented what its president, Jeff McNeil, describes as a "deeply troubling" discovery of harvesting activity reportedly to have taken place. On the association's social media page, McNeil said his team encountered "gut piles, dead moose (left to rot) and indications of repeated harvesting during (another) year of a conservation closure. It has become a slaughter in the Highlands - a free-for-all," McNeil told the Cape Breton Post.

> In 2025, Mikmaw protestors blockaded access to Hunters Mountain, claiming forestry is responsible for the moose population decline. Meanwhile, some non-Indigenous people are blaming the drop on what they claim had been a poorly monitored and unregulated Mi'kmaq moose hunt. Others point to a Parks Canada cull of the species within the national park that ended six years ago. On PMWA's social media page, McNeil noted that
"there are individuals on all sides who disregard conservation responsibilities, just as there are responsible people on all sides who genuinely want to protect the resource. McNeil said he wants to see "First Nations leaders, provincial and federal governments, wildlife biologists, conservation organizations, hunters, and other knowledgeable stakeholders be part of a genuine effort to develop and implement solutions."

Are folks watching this meeting (in progress rn)? Where is Tim Houston? Is he not the Minister of Energy?

Great Fall walk along the Musquodoboit Trailway.