Handbook for Health Heroes: Answers to Your Family's Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids

By Ciara Pickering, DEEL COVID-19 Communications Advisor

With the rise in COVID-19 cases this spring and the emergence of new variants, it’s more important than ever to protect ourselves and our communities by getting vaccinated. New information about COVID-19 and the vaccine continues to surface and many people find themselves with a lot of questions, especially about vaccines for kids ages 5 – 11. In collaboration with Public Health – Seattle & King County and Seattle Public Schools, DEEL has produced the Handbook for Health Heroes, a comic book guide to help answer families’ questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for kids.

Throughout the pandemic, DEEL has provided resources to support children, families, childcare providers, educators, and youth development workers throughout the City—resources such as take-home activity kits to support early learning and healthy child development throughout the pandemic, recognition payments for childcare providers, vaccine education and access, and mini-grant opportunities for youth leaders to address bias, hate and discrimination, to name a few.

While vaccination rates in Seattle and Washington state are high, there is still some hesitancy and confusion, especially when it comes to vaccines for young people. The Handbook for Health Heroes walks through some of the most common questions and concerns families and kids themselves may have. The comic book acknowledges that children should be a part of the conversation and have their questions answered when it comes to their bodies and their health. With vivid imagery and kid-friendly language, this guide will help families talk to each other about COVID-19, the vaccine, and how we can all be heroes for health and help protect one another.

The Handbook for Health Heroes is available digitally and for download below in English, Spanish, French, Somali and Vietnamese.

All King County School-Based Health Centers have COVID-19 vaccines (and other routine childhood immunizations) available! Find the full list of sites here: www.kingcounty.gov/sbhc.