How to talk to your younger kids about the Covid-19 vaccine

Next, I had her look at photos of medical needles. She reported that she didn't like the pictures, but she could handle looking at them. We continued this gradual approach until she gave 'vaccines' to an orange (parental supervision required even with toy needles). What she was doing is exposure therapy, learning to tolerate her discomfort and gradually build up to getting her own vaccine. Using exposure to cope with needle phobia requires time and professional guidance, but many adults are eager to get the Covid-19 vaccine for their vaccine-hesitant little ones as soon as it becomes available. These folks might not have the time or the resources to take a gradual approach to helping their kids overcome this fear, but they need help just the same.