Finally exhaling: Why my son got vaccinated
Last weekend, my son got his first COVID-19 vaccination. He is 9 years old and scared of needles, but he was actually happy to get this shot. I was amazed at how well he handled it.
When it was announced that the vaccine had been approved by the FDA and cleared by the CDC, I felt this enormous weight lift off my shoulders. My son has been asking for months about getting vaccinated. Everyone in our family got vaccinated as soon as they were eligible. My son and 2-year-old daughter were the only ones left.
When I told my son that he had an appointment to be vaccinated, he lit up. He smiled and said he was so happy to finally be getting the shot.
He did virtual school all last year, and the idea of returning to the building this year had him a little anxious. We focused on what we could control – wearing his mask, washing his hands, following safety protocols, etc. Soon, he fell right into the groove again, going to school with his mask and seeing his friends.
The constant hand sanitizing is flaring up his eczema on his hands, but otherwise he's been doing pretty well.
Over the weekend, we went to the local Walgreens for our vaccination appointment. The little boy who went in before my son told him that it hurt much less than a flu shot. That made my son feel good! We went in and got the shot. My son barely noticed the needle. He was too busy talking about about his little sister and other fun stuff.
When we got home, he said he had a sore arm but otherwise was feeling good. Then, I noticed something that I hadn't seen in months – my son looked completely relaxed. He was breathing calmly. It was like a weight had been lifted from his mind as well. That night we shared a slice of cake – something he picked up at the grocery store to celebrate being "half vaccinated."
I'm not here to debate vaccinations. I'm here to tell you that knowing that we have at least some protection against this virus is helping my family breathe a little easier.
Will we still mask up indoors and when social distancing isn't possible? Absolutely.
And the minute the vaccine is approved for my toddler, I'm going to get her vaccinated as well.
