We CAN Do This, Auburn-Opelika Moms!

THEY’RE WATCHING. THEY’RE LISTENING. AND THEY REMEMBER EVERYTHING. IT’S EASY  TO FORGET THEY’RE THERE AND PAYING ATTENTION, ESPECIALLY WHEN I’M CAUGHT OFF  GUARD DEALING WITH THE UNEXPECTED. WHAT GREAT POWER THAT BRINGS, AND WHAT  GREAT RESPONSIBILITY.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made a commitment to informing  parents to increase public confidence in COVID vaccines while reinforcing basic prevention  measures such as mask wearing and social distancing to allow them to make informed decisions  about their health and COVID, including steps to protect themselves, their children, and their  communities. 

In December 2020, FDA authorized a COVID vaccine for children ages 16-17. In May 2021, FDA  authorized it for children ages 12-15, followed by an authorization for children ages 5-11  in November 2021. We are seeking to inform and motivate parents of children ages 5-17 to get their  children vaccinated to help keep children from getting seriously sick and to have a significant impact  on overall COVID infection rates in the U.S.

I HAVE TO EVALUATE MY TRUE MOTIVES FOR WHAT I DO AND THEN BE STRONG ENOUGH  TO DO WHATEVER I NEED TO REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHERS SAY OR DO. AND I HAVE TO  ALLOW OTHERS THE SAME FREEDOM TO DO WHAT THEY CHOOSE, WHILE HAVING A  LOVING ATTITUDE TOWARD THEM, INCLUDING NO HARD FEELINGS OR UNKIND REMARKS.

COVID Vaccines: Getting Our Children Vaccinated 

Everyone in the United States age 5 or older is now eligible to get vaccinated. 

COVID vaccines do provide an opportunity to return to a more normal lifestyle. 

• Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect our families and make life safer for  everyone.
• But here’s the thing: If you are not vaccinated—no matter your age—you are at risk of  getting sick, and yes, even dying.
• You should also continue to wear a mask indoors to protect yourself and other people.

The vaccines do work.   

• COVID vaccines help prevent severe illness and death from COVID.
• Children are four times more likely to be hospitalized from COVID if they live in a state  with low vaccination rates compared to states with high vaccination rates.
• Vaccines can help protect your child from getting COVID and help keep your child from  getting seriously sick even if they do get it.   

Safety is a top priority. 

• Millions of people have safely received COVID vaccines under the most rigorous safety  monitoring in U.S. history.
• COVID vaccines are the most closely monitored vaccines in U.S. history and are being  monitored just as closely in children.   

Short-term side effects from the vaccine are normal and typically last for a couple days after vaccination. 

• Children who’ve gotten a COVID vaccine have the same temporary side effects as adults.  They are signs that the vaccine is working and that your child’s body is building protection  against the virus.
• Common side effects include:
  • Pain, redness, or swelling where you got your shot
  • Tiredness
  • Headache
  • Muscle pain
  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Nausea 

Getting vaccinated has never been easier or more convenient.

• Everyone in the United States age 5 or older is eligible to get vaccinated.
• Vaccines are free regardless of health insurance or immigration status.
• Vaccines for kids are now available at more than 30,000 trusted and convenient  locations. To find vaccines near you, visit vaccines.gov; text your ZIP code to 438829  (GETVAX); or call 1-800-232-0233.
• Check with your child’s pediatrician or their school for vaccine availability. Many schools and health care providers are offering vaccines to make it easier for children to get vaccinated.
• Community health centers and rural health clinics across the country will  provide vaccines for kids, and children’s hospitals and health systems are partnering with local communities and faith-based organizations to create vaccination sites, including many open in off hours for working parents. 

COVID is a greater threat to your child than any potential risk from side effects of the vaccine. 

• There is no way to know how COVID will affect your child, but clinical trials showed vaccines help  prevent severe illness and death from COVID. 
• Since August, 1 in 5 new COVID cases have been in kids. , but vaccines can bring that number  down.  

What should I do as a parent? 

Want more information about the benefits of getting vaccinated? Ask a doctor,  pharmacist, or other health care provider. 

• Talk to a doctor. We encourage you to talk to your child’s health care provider about any other questions you may have about COVID vaccines. The  American Medical Association reports over 96% of doctors have been fully vaccinated against COVID. 
• Research for yourself at cdc.gov/coronavirus for more information. 
• Help the people you care about find a vaccine at vaccines.gov.   

Frequently Asked COVID Questions:

1. Can a COVID vaccine make my child sick with COVID? None of the authorized and  recommended COVID vaccines contain the live virus that causes COVID. This means  that a COVID vaccine cannot give your child COVID. 
2. Will a COVID vaccine alter my child’s DNA? No. COVID vaccines do not change or  interact with your child’s DNA in any way. It is biologically impossible. 
3. Do COVID vaccines affect fertility? No, they do not. If you are trying to become  pregnant now or want to get pregnant in the future, CDC recommends getting a COVID  vaccine. Currently, no evidence indicates that any vaccines, including COVID vaccines,  cause fertility problems, in women or men.  If you are trying to become pregnant, then  you do not need to avoid pregnancy after receiving a COVID vaccine. In a recent study,  people who had gotten a COVID vaccine had the same pregnancy success rate as  people who had not been vaccinated.  Vaccines are carefully studied and monitored, and  it is clear they are safe for people who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant.
4. Are the vaccines safe for women who are currently pregnant or breastfeeding?  Yes, COVID vaccines are recommended for people who are pregnant,  breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future. In fact,  pregnant and recently pregnant people are more likely to get severely ill with COVID and  getting a COVID vaccine can help protect them from severe illness from COVID. CDC  tracks all vaccines for safety and the evidence to date shows that the vaccines are safe  for pregnant women. Pregnant women seem to have the same side effects as everyone  else, and we haven’t seen evidence of miscarriages, stillbirths, or preterm births linked  to COVID vaccines. Recent reports have shown that breastfeeding parents who have  received mRNA COVID vaccines have antibodies in their breastmilk, which could help  protect their babies.
5. What should parents of adolescents know about myocarditis related to COVID  vaccines? A very small number of cases of myocarditis (inflammation of the heart  muscle) and pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart) have been reported  following COVID vaccination.  However, this is extremely rare, and adolescent patients  typically recover quickly and respond well to medications and rest.

WE’RE ALL UNIQUE-IN OUR PERSONALITIES, OUR LOOKS, OUR CIRCUMSTANCES, OUR  CULTURES. EVEN SIBLINGS RAISED TOGETHER OFTEN FIND THEMSELVES WITH VERY  DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES ON WHAT LIFE WAS LIKE GROWING UP IN THE SAME  HOUSEHOLD. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND THE  WORLD. THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS OURSELVES AND BE HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA  COUPLED WITH THE ISOLATION AND STRESSES BROUGHT ON BY A GLOBAL PANDEMIC  HAVE AMPLIFIED THE TENSION IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR WORLD. WE’VE ALL FELT IT.  IT’S BROUGHT OUT THE BEST AND THE WORST IN ALL OF US. AND OUR CHILDREN ARE  WATCHING, LISTENING, LEARNING.

• Quotes are excerpts from “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility” by Beverly Smith, AO Moms Founding Contributor. Click here to read more.