Are you over this pandemic that has officially stretched across four calendar years now? Yeah, I think we all are by this point. Pandemic fatigue is a real thing, and it’s hard to find a balance between appropriate caution and living in fear as COVID-19 drags on. Don’t give up now – We Can Do This.
My now-12-year-old daughter developed serious anxieties mid-2021 that were almost debilitating, and we had to have her talk to a professional.
“At first, I liked staying at home. I could talk to my friends on the phone, so that was fine. I wasn’t worried about me getting sick, but I was really worried about my parents getting sick and then I didn’t like not getting to see anyone. I was worried about my mom getting sick because she’s my mother and she has diabetes, and I didn’t want her to die. I was worse than my mom when we’d go to the stores before we were vaccinated. I was really scared if everyone didn’t have their masks on.”
I know it’s partly my fault that she developed those anxieties and fears. Almost everything was unknown in those early months. I had mini freak-outs if someone got too close to me in the grocery store. I was obsessive about hand-washing, sanitizing our hands and every single contact surface. I am immunocompromised, so there was a higher chance that I could have serious complications or die if I caught COVID. I drove my husband and daughter crazy, monitoring everything they touched while we were out and standing by with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer… I was a long way from figuring out that delicate balance between caution and paralyzing fear.
When my other half and I were finally able to get our vaccines in Spring of 2021, we did. Waiting for our daughter’s age range to become eligible for the COVID vaccine was excruciating for us. As soon as I could get her an appointment, I did.
“After my parents got vaccinated, they were so much more chill. I still want everyone to keep wearing their masks because of the variants. I wanted to be vaccinated and be in school again, so I could be out of the house and feel safer!”
She cried some tears when her younger friends couldn’t get vaccinated at the same time she did. She cares deeply about her family and friends and just wants everyone to be safe and healthy. She still takes a lot of precautions with sanitizing her hands and things she touches, and she is diligent about wearing her mask at school. For our family, we breathe a little more easily knowing we’re all fully vaccinated. My husband and I got our boosters at the end of 2021, and we’ll get our daughter her booster as soon as she’s eligible as well.
The Facts on the Vax
We know so much more now. I am more than honored to partner with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to share the facts about COVID-19 vaccines to help you decide on the best choice for you and your family.
Of those Americans under 18 years of age, almost 8 million have gotten COVID. Since August 2021, hospitalization rates for children with COVID have reached all-time highs.
Vaccines work. There is no way to know how COVID will affect your child, but clinical trials showed vaccines help prevent severe illness and death from COVID.
Everyone in the U.S. aged 5 or older is now eligible to get vaccinated!
Your children ages 5 and older can get the same safe, effective protection from COVID that hundreds of millions of American adults have received.
COVID Vaccines are Safe
Safety is a top priority. Millions of people have safely received COVID vaccines under the most rigorous safety monitoring in U.S. history. COVID vaccines are the most closely monitored vaccines in U.S. history and are being monitored just as closely in children. Safe and effective COVID vaccines for kids offer the same protection from COVID that hundreds of millions of American adults have already gotten.
What about side effects?
In clinical trials, children had the same kinds of temporary side effects from COVID vaccines that adults have, such as pain at the injection site, tiredness, or headache. COVID is a greater threat to your child than any potential risk from side effects of the vaccine. I would much rather my child experience discomfort for a day or two than to risk hospitalization – or worse.
My daughter had no side effects besides a little soreness and tiredness, and I worry less when she goes to school each day. Vaccines and boosters are your best protection from COVID and make it safer for our families and friends to gather together.
COVID Vaccines are Accessible
Vaccinations are easily accessible. Check with your child’s school or health care provider to see if they are offering vaccination clinics.
Sick of virtual meetings, face masks, social distancing, canceled travel plans, altered celebrations? Want this pandemic to be over? So do I. So do our kids. Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect our families and make life safer for everyone.
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- Talk to a doctor if you have questions about the vaccine.
- Find vaccines near you at vaccines.gov.
My mother-in-law has frequently told me, “You can’t take care of anyone else if you don’t first take care of yourself.” Parenting is hard work. Be sure to take care of yourself as well, and if you’re vaccinated make sure you get a booster. Being boosted offers the most protection. We CAN Do This!
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