Dr. Red Nose’ Vaccine Companion Performance - 紅鼻子醫生 Dr.Rednose

Dr. Red Nose’ Vaccine Companion Performance

In early summer 2022, Taiwan’s epidemic spread from winter into summer, and children’s vaccinations were being carried out in full swing. The vaccine companion program at National Taiwan University Hospital was an urgent mission undertaken by Dr. Red Nose. The performances lasted one week, for a total of five days, and an estimated 4,500 children aged 5–11 received their vaccinations. From receiving the mission to taking the stage, Dr. Red Nose had only three days to prepare. Although it felt tense enough to raise our blood pressure, for us, it was a wonderful Medical Clown journey filled with sweet, sour, and bittersweet memories.

Everyone Gets Moving · The Medical Clown Take on a Mission!

The Medical Clown in northern Taiwan sprang into action! Within three days, 12 Dr. Red Nose were recruited for a total of nine performances, with three Medical Clown at each session. The Xinyi Charity Foundation, which has long supported Dr. Red Nose, immediately sponsored the expenses upon learning of this mission. This eased the pressure on Dr. Red Nose’ annual budget and allowed us to move forward with greater confidence and peace of mind. From site inspections, traffic-flow planning, and scenario simulations to organizing props, we carefully considered and planned for every possible situation. We hoped that our performances could ease children’s fear of injections while also relieving the emotional pressure on the medical staff at the scene.

When Facing Fear and Anxiety, We Give Them a Little More Love

When it comes to injections, it is not only children who feel a little afraid; we adults do too. We secretly think of ways to face it: some recite the multiplication tables, some close their eyes and pretend they did not see it, and some take a deep breath and hope time passes quickly. Young children are still learning how to bravely face their fear of needles. At the vaccine companion site, many children came up with creative ideas for avoiding their shots! Dr. Red Nose were both amused and exasperated, and also felt that children truly have boundless imagination and creativity.

Some children puffed out their chests, looking as though they were calmly facing death, yet their rigid bodies after receiving the shot repeatedly revealed: I’m so scared. At such moments, the Medical Clown played the ukulele and gently sang to ease their tense bodies and minds with music. Some little ones staged a chase-and-run spectacle in the lobby, directly expressing “I’m so scared” through an escape plan they had been preparing for a long time. The Medical Clown stepped forward and exchanged a little secret with the child: “I poked my arm with a toothpick at home, and it really hurt!” Yes! It really does hurt! So let’s bravely face this pain together and use the Medical Clown’s magic trick to forget the hurt.

When facing fear and anxiety, what we offer is even more love and companionship. We accept children’s feelings and emotions, giving them the agency to be the masters of their own vaccination journey.

Let’s Have a Dance Party! Become the Medical Staff’s Stress-Relief Super Teammate

Medical Clown, there’s a child here who needs help,

Yes, received! (Whoosh—the Medical Clown heads over right away.)

The medical staff at National Taiwan University Hospital were important partners to Dr. Red Nose this time—wonderful teammates to work alongside. Smooth traffic flow, mutual understanding through eye contact, and cooperation with the medical staff came together like a series of light and flowing waltzes. Administering vaccines to several hundred, and sometimes nearly a thousand, children in a single day was a huge workload for the medical staff and brought intense emotional pressure. Dr. Red Nose used instruments such as ukuleles and handbells, offering to take song requests and starting mini dance parties on site. Through music, laughter, singing, and swaying bodies, we helped ease the medical staff’s tension after another day of work. When we left at the end, everyone had a smile on their face, and the air felt as light and lively as if musical notes were dancing in it.

Accept Children’s Emotions and Create Joyful Memories Together

Whether performing in hospital wards, accompanying children during vaccinations, or performing via video, every scene is improvised. Dr. Red Nose respond to the children’s reactions and emotions in the moment, then immediately adjust the content of the performance according to the environment. The Medical Clown can perform across disciplines thanks to their regular, rigorous professional training in performance and medical settings. In addition, they must prepare many magic tools and become skilled with these props to provide the most appropriate performances. Through interactive games, improvisational theater, music, and magical little props, they divert children’s attention from pain and help them forget the unhappiness of getting a shot. Children who cried their eyes out while receiving their vaccines, with two tear tracks still on their faces, became curious and came closer to get a better look at the Medical Clown’ magical props and tricks before their tears had even dried. There was a little book that lit up, a bubble wand that spun, and stickers in so many colors!

Let sweet memories gently cover their fear, leaving beautiful experiences of meeting the Medical Clown etched in their minds. It turns out, it was all because of that red nose!