Dr. Bram Rochwerg and Dr. Rachel Loewith had all four of their children vaccinated against COVID-19. McMaster Children’s Hospital provided a wealth of resources this year about COVID-19 vaccination for kids and teens, back-to-school preparation, healthy eating and more.

2021 Celebrations: Resources from McMaster Children’s Hospital

There’s no doubt the pandemic brought challenges to children’s healthcare in 2021. But through all this, McMaster Children’s Hospital has been there for families to provide valuable, easy to understand, and important resources to guide decision-making and promote healthy living.

Some pandemic safety measures have had a negative impact on some aspects of children’s and teens’ health. The Other Side of COVID-19 series explores some of these topics, including increases in child and youth mental health concerns and child abuse and neglect, missing or postponing routine vaccinations and developmental assessments, and more.

This September, many children returned to in-person learning. We revived our back to school video series and added new topics like routine vaccinations, managing return-to-school anxiety, how to make friends, healthy eating habits, bullying, screen time, and more. We also launched a healthy recipe video series in partnership with our Children’s Exercise and Nutrition Centre and Meant2Prevent, a type 2 diabetes prevention initiative for children and youth.

On the vaccine front, COVID-19 vaccines were approved for youth 12+ in August, and for children ages 5-11 in November. In both cases, MCH shared expertise in these areas to help families make informed decisions to protect their young ones. View our vaccine resources page.

Our Family Resource Centre, a full-service lending library located on the main floor of Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre, is now available to search online.

Plus, we launched a new way to search and register for free MCH courses and workshops online. Our course offerings page has educational courses and skills training workshops on a variety of topics, including parenting, child development and child and youth mental health concerns.

McMaster Children’s Hospital has been providing care to children from across the region since 1988. Patients ranging in age from infancy to 17 receive care through a family-centred approach that accounts for the child’s emotional, mental and physical well-being.

The hospital is home to the fastest-growing kids-only emergency department in Ontario, one of Canada’s most advanced neonatal intensive care units, and a range of programs and clinics with unique expertise in a number of areas including children’s cancer, digestive diseases, and mental health.

Read all the 2020 celebration stories this month including stories from McMaster Children’s Hospital.

The other side of COVID-19: Mental health challenges prevalent in youth The other side of COVID-19: “Get your shot” applies to kids’ regular vaccines too! Early intervention is critical for children with developmental delays Managing school-related anxiety Making friends Screen time COVID vaccine side effects for children and youth Will these doctors have their own kids vaccinated against COVID? “Absolutely yes.” Tips for parents preparing their child for the COVID-19 vaccine Back to School Berry Chia Pudding Apple Monsters Curried carrot and lentil dip – wintertime kid-friendly recipe for snacking