Discussing COVID Vaccine for Kids

This is from my COVID vaccine. My mommy and my poppy

took me to get it this morning. Mm-hmm.

Oh, Rosita, that's great. Getting the COVID vaccine

is a great way to stay healthy.

See, my mommy and my poppy said that it will help keep me, my

friends, my neighbors, my abuela all healthy.

And by getting the vaccine, you'll be helping keep yourself, our

friends and neighbors, and me safe and

healthy.

But it's also very safe. The only side effects, uh, that they're

really seeing, uh, have pop up are soreness, you know, in the arm-

Mm-hmm

... where you get the, the shot.

Mm-hmm.

And some people have had headaches and felt a little tired af-

Yeah, and I should add as well, you know, kids can also play a role in passing the

virus on to others, like siblings and parents-

Mm

... and grandparents as well.

Oh.

So, you know, getting-

Ooh

... kids vaccinated, especially as we go into the colder months

here,

it's gonna be really crucial to protect them as well as the other people in their

lives, Granny Bird.

And you know what? I am so proud to be called a superhero,

but I'm

even more proud of all of the kids that are gonna go get their vaccines so

that

they can become superheroes, too.

Was the vaccine trial for our kids long enough

to determine if there are long-term side effects?

So many parents concerned about long-term side effects when the vaccine seems very

new. What do we know?

Well, here's the good news. We know that in these trials that were done to

study the vaccine, which were specifically designed for kids with a

specific dosage, uh, just for children, that what they saw,

uh, was overall a very strong safety profile.

But they did not see any serious side effects,

and they followed the children for

two months. And why is that important?

Because the vast, vast majority of side effects

that we see from vaccines

happen in the first few weeks.

Now, on the other hand, what we do know about the virus is that

if our

kids are not protected and they get COVID-19,

that there's a significant

risk, uh, of them getting seriously ill.

Uh-

But today, the vaccine that you will get so

that you can be protected

by Christmastime will be a shot into your arm.

I think the first thing I would say is that we have to remember

that the dose that

we're giving children is smaller than the dose

that we're giving adults, and that

is because we wanted to minimize those side effects.

So it's very possible that when you take your kids to get this

vaccine,

they're not gonna have any side effects, or if they do, they're going to be very,

very mild. Now, you always have the option of giving them

an

anti-fever medication, anti-pain medication, and with that,

they actually should feel a lot better.

They should perk right up and be able to go to school.

So no, the answer's no, they don't have to miss school.

Mm.

And those side effects are going to be mild, if at a-

I'm worried about some of my friends who plan to not be vaccinated.

What should I do? What should I say?

You're a very kind friend to be caring about your, your friends', uh,

health. And all families are making different decisions,

and you're doing your part. By being vaccinated, you're protecting

yourself, and you're protecting your friend

and others around you.

The most important thing is to continue to be a good friend and

have those play dates, but be mindful that your friend isn't vaccinated.

So wear a mask, make sure your hands are, are washed, and keep a

little bit of a safe distance.

Well, thank you, Dr. Sanjay, and thank you, Surgeon General

Murthy-

Yeah

... for taking the time to talk to me today.

You have really helped this Granny Bird make a deci-