mRNA vaccines were hardly new either, as they had been studied for the flu, Zika, rabies and cytomegalovirus.
We were in a race against time, against COVID spreading and mutating. I knew that vaccinating children was an important part of reaching herd immunity. I felt confident that my children, ranging in age from 6 to 15, would be able to get vaccinated within months, too. I had no doubt that the vaccine was safe and effective. I did not want the process to be rushed, but I was still impatient and wanted my kids to be protected.The author's children, ages 6 and 10, after they received their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.
I also told them that if they got vaccinated, they might feel sore and sick. They knew that if they did feel bad, it would likely last just a day or two. They agreed that this was worth the trade-off for being protected against COVID, which could make themin the U.S. alone. I promised them lots of screen time and ice cream after their shots.
Many of my friends have medically complex children, too, and I’ve visited more than one in the hospital while their child was kept unconscious, reliant on a ventilator to breathe. If these children had not been sedated, they would have been in pain and distress. I’ve sat with friends who have lost a child. Their grief is boundless.flashing across my screens, I was relieved that I could now take a step to protect my children from that fate.
Later that night, my daughter flinched when I accidentally touched her arm. My son said he did not want to go to sleep because his arm hurt so much and he was afraid he would roll over and hurt his arm more. Having experienced similar symptoms when I received my shots, my hope grew that both children had just been vaccinated against COVID.
That statement drips with privilege