Talking to Your Child About the COVID-19 Vaccine

COVID-19 continues to be an ongoing issue across the world, with vaccination becoming a hot topic among many groups. As a parent, you do owe it to your child to have a frank discussion about what the vaccine may mean for him or her, and you’ll need to be able to answer any questions that your child may have. Fortunately, doing so is really a matter of being able to find the correct information.

Providing Your Child with Valuable Information

The beginning of your discussion should always start with a frank discussion of what the vaccine is and is not. If you’re not sure about the definition of a vaccine, it’s absolutely fine to look it up and learn a bit more yourself. From there, you can explain to your child that the vaccine is much like those he or she already received for school – not a cure for an illness, but rather protection from contracting the illness itself. You can talk to your child about the risks that are still present even if he or she is vaccinated and, if appropriate, what you consider the risks of vaccination might be.

It’s vital that you present accurate information to your child, so use this time to work together. Ignore social media and stick to well-regarded, peer-reviewed journals or to public health websites that break down the information from those sources. This will not only help your child learn a bit more about the vaccination process but also about how to look up credible sources for health information in the future.

Don’t think that you have to do this all alone, though. You can and should involve your child’s pediatrician in this discussion. Not only will this allow you to bring a more authoritative source into the conversation, but it will also give you a chance to ask the questions to which you might not be able to find satisfying answers online.