Helping families prepare children for their COVID-19 vaccines

December 2, 2021 By Dr. Caroline Adelman, PhD

As evidence-based providers, we are always eager to share the best available information with our clients and communities, to support everyone in making informed decisions about their health and wellbeing. Now that children in the 5-11 age range are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, we wanted to help our youngest clients and their families to feel well-prepared for their shots. We have created the following two videos in service of that goal:

A vaccine prep video for kids, featuring Ellen Bee, LCPC. This video was created for children ages 5+, to help them feel empowered and well-prepared for their vaccine appointments. This video contains evidence-based tips about vaccine preparation, tips for managing anxiety or fear in the moment, and reminders for kids and parents to celebrate once kids have gotten their shots!

Content warning: this video includes live footage of a child going through the vaccination process, so parents of children with needle phobias may wish to prepare your child for viewing that section of the video, watch the video together with your child, or talk with your child’s therapist about viewing the video as an in-session exposure exercise.

The second video here is an interview conducted by Dr. Caroline Adelman with Dr. Christine Janowiak, a Pediatrician at Lakeview Pediatrics in Chicago. In this video, Dr. Janowiak answers parents’ FAQs and provide detailed information for parents about vaccine safety, efficacy, and the state of the current research on COVID-19 vaccines and children.

Thanks for watching, and for being part of our learning community!