Noli Vega, Research Assistant, NY Vaccine Literacy Campaign, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Hannah Stuart Lathan, MPH, Program Manager, NY Vaccine Literacy Campaign, CONVINCE USA, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Lauren Rauh, MPH, Senior Program Manager, CONVINCE USA, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
Vaccinating young people against COVID-19 continues to be a crucial part of the fight to end the pandemic. In the United States, half of young people ages 12 to 17 years old have been fully vaccinated, and 60% have received at least one dose. Now, with FDA approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children ages five to 11 years old, we can protect millions more children nationwide.
In light of this critical milestone, parents, teachers and caregivers have important questions about younger kids and the COVID-19 vaccine: considerations about safety, side effects, and how vaccines work. Adults and young people alike need access to accurate information about how the COVID-19 vaccine protects children’s health and why it’s more important than ever for kids to get vaccinated.
We’ve rounded up four key resources that provide answers to common questions, including tips for talking with children about vaccination and planning to get them vaccinated.
1. UNICEF Guide to Talking to Children About COVID-19 Vaccines
Adults aren’t the only ones with vaccine questions or concerns—kids will likely have them, too. To help parents prepare, the United Nations Children’s Fund has assembled tips for vaccine conversations with young people, including a helpful video and list of kid-friendly responses to common vaccine questions.
2. The Conversation About COVID-19 Vaccines & Kids
The Conversation campaign is fighting misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines with an FAQ video series aimed at communities of color and featuring insights from real doctors, nurses, and community health care workers. This series of videos features pediatricians answering key questions, including how vaccines were developed and their effectiveness at protecting children.
3. Vaccine Information Resource Assistant (Vira)
Developed by experts at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, “Vira” is a free mobile and desktop chatbot that answers questions about COVID-19 vaccines. Adults and kids can use Vira to ask any questions they have about getting vaccinated and get quick evidence-based answers anytime.
4. Vaccine Education Center
This collection of resources from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers a wide range of vaccine education materials for parents, educators, and health care professionals. Find free classroom materials, instructional videos, vaccine trivia games, and much more.
Click to view our COVID-19 community resources.
About the New York Vaccine Literacy Campaign
Launched in May 2021, the Campaign was developed by CONVINCE USA and a team of faculty and staff at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. Our mission is to lighten the load of community and direct service organizations by increasing community-level access to vaccine education. The NY VLC provides tools, training, and capacity building resources to community partners. This work is supported by the New York Community Trust, the Altman Foundation, and the New York State Health Foundation.
About CUNY SPH
The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to promoting and sustaining healthier populations in New York City and around the world through excellence in education, research, and service in public health and by advocating for sound policy and practice to advance social justice and improve health outcomes for all.
