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Children all over the world have been touched by COVID-19. In just a few months after learning about the new coronavirus, kids went from happily playing on playgrounds with their buddies to wearing masks, swimming in hand sanitizer, and not being able to play with friends. This pandemic will most likely have a long-lasting impact on their lives, and that s why it s so important to help them understand what it means when we say pandemic. Here s how you can start the conversation. What Is the Difference Between an Epidemic and a Pandemic?
Just like a school has many classrooms, our world has many countries. One such country is China, the place where lots of people first started getting sick with COVID-19. The virus moved from person to person in China and then started making people sick all over the world.
I started talking to my kids about vaccines when they were babies. Yes, babies. That s what made
me feel better about getting them their shots. Being a vaccine researcher, I never questioned whether or not I d vaccinate, but it s still not an easy task as a parent to get your kids their shots the tears, the pinch of pain, the doctors appointments. Eventually it got easier for me, and maybe a little harder for them. But I kept talking.
Today, my elementary-aged children are fine with getting their shots, and I think that s because I never stopped the conversation. They re curious little creatures and talking about those scary things seems to help a lot. Now that coronavirus vaccines are headed our way, it s especially important to start talking about vaccines with your kids.