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Let’s learn about vaccinations and herd immunity

We got the Earthquakes vaccinated for both the flu and Covid, and oh my gosh, such sweet relief. If your kids are able and it’s accessible for your family, be a hero and get a shot. Herd immunity helps keep our most vulnerable community members safe.

For those of you who can’t be vaccinated due to having younger kids or health limitations, holding space for you, and I recognize this pandemic isn’t over, and it’s still up to us to wear masks and avoid crowds and foolish behavior. You deserve to be safe and it’s our responsibility as potential vectors to ensure that.

For those of you with kids who aren’t familiar with vaccines, who have vaccine-hesitant family who don’t understand the science – or how herd immunity works, – or don’t understand how it’s not only about you, or you can’t catch my autism through medicine (!!!), here are a few books to help.

They’re also helpful for kids who are less-than-wild about getting poked by sharp things, who are kind and brave, but still have some anxiety.

Stay save, spread hope, not germs!

Read:

• Baby Medical School: Vaccines (ages 3+) for a simple explanation of how vaccines work
• For kids who are nervous about shots, try The Little Ouch (ages 3-10)
• Judah Maccabee Goes to the Doctor (ages 4-7)
• Thank You, Dr. Salk (ages 4-8)

Discuss

• What is the difference between actual illness and symptoms and side-effects of a vaccine response?
• Why do we get vaccines even though we’re not currently sick?
• Some parents refuse to vaccinate their children because they are afraid. What are they afraid of?
• What is the anti-vaxx movement? What assumptions does this movement make about our responsibility to keep others safe?

Take action

• Book a covid vaccination for your child or yourself
• Help someone who faces barriers getting vaccinated, for example:
  • Overwhelmed parents who might not have time to spare booking a vaccination (this is a surprisingly big hurdle).
  • Families who need transportation but are uncomfortable with public transportation and ride-shares due to exposure risk.
  • Families who have transportation, but can’t take time off (work, school, getting dinner on the table, caring for younger children or elders, etc.) for vaccinations.
  • Vaccine-hesitant families who need someone to take them seriously in a conversation. Be the person who can just listen to their concerns without trying to convince them or bend to your will. Affirming that their fears are a sign they want to do best for their kids, and asking what information they need and for how they want to move forward – is a great way to support families and open minds.

Resources to dig deeper:

• The Neurodivergent Narwhals explain Coronavirus
• Stories to help your kids understand vaccines & herd immunity
• Motivating Kids To Protect Others With ‘Do Not Lick This Book’
• Inclusive Kids Books about Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics
• Kids Books For Pandemic Life
• Books to brighten days home sick
• Books To Reassure Kids During Coronavirus Isolation
• Whenever the Earthquakes get a little uppity and superior about ‘knowing better’ than anti-vaxxers, I like to knock a bit of humility into them with: What is the Dunning-Kruger effect? (9+)
• Vaccines do not cause autism (8+)
• Unpacking the vaccines and autism medical myth (8+)
• Plain Language Guides: What you need to know about COVID 19 vaccines for children video & Easy Read Guide, via ASAN

[Video description: R2 explains for other kids what to expect from the first covid vaccination Captions available.]