Durham council member creates "Cootie Shot" song to help kids overcome vaccine fears

For several months, health care workers and others have tried to improve Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy among adults.

Now that kids between 12 and 15 are eligible for their shots, vaccine distrust is an even bigger concern.

A city leader in Durham is using his voice and dance moves to connect with kids.

Pierce Freelon is a familiar face at meetings sitting as a city council member in Durham, and he is also an artist and children’s musician.
“We have to lead by example. As a public official, as an artist, as a Durham lifelong resident, I thought it would be important not just the shape policy but also to shape culture with the platform that I have,” said Freelon.

Freelon has had a lifelong phobia of needles himself. Now, he’s using his platform by singing this fun melody to teach kids — who often refer to germs as cooties — how to overcome their fear of shots and protecting themselves and others from the virus.

“I want that music and culture to be a multiplier, because kids can really be influencers on their parents and their elders,” he added.
The “Cootie Shot” song features his own children, Stella and Justice. They sing the catchy rhyme from a children’s traditional game in the hook.

“We have a little choreography ‘Circle, circle, dot, dot’ and you do like a little Nay Nay,” he said, demonstrating the dance moves.
“This song, this rhyme, this jingle has been in my head since I was in elementary school,” he added.

Now that vaccines are widely available, Freelon hopes the tune will not only influence young people, but older people and those of color to roll their sleeves up, too.

“In Durham, you know, only 30 percent of Black people are vaccinated. Only 29 percent of Latinx folks are vaccinated. I want people to go dancing to the doctor’s office,” said Freelon.
The song features Al Strong, a North Carolina Central University professor, on the horns and Divinity Roxx, Beyoncé’s musical director and bassist.

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