What to Know
- Doctors teamed up with child psychologists and graphic designers to create the book.
- It's a tool to help parents guide their little ones through the process of explaining the pandemic and vaccines.
- Download for free at the link below.
COVID-19 vaccines could be available to children ages 5 to 11 as soon as next week if the CDC gives final approval, and doctors at St. Jude Children’s Hospital are putting out a coloring book that helps explain the vaccine in language kids can understand.
Dr. Diego Hijano teamed up with child psychologists and graphic designers to create the book as a tool to help parents guide their little ones through the process of explaining the pandemic and vaccines.
"It's to inform them in a way that is non-threatening... that can be incorporated at different group age," Hijano said. "It has become a really good way of engaging our families.”
The coloring book includes an activity section asking kids to trace the path and help the antibody reach the virus.
It describes the immune system as a team of superheroes that protect us from germs.
Seven-year-old Brad Bailey from Burbank is one of the first kids to use the new vaccine coloring book developed by doctors at St. Jude's.
Brad’s mom says it’s been difficult explaining the pandemic to Brad and his 3-year-old brother Jack.
Bree Bailey says the coloring book allows kids to engage with the topic in a way that doesn’t seem so scary.
“I think it’s really thoughtfully written and speaks to kids in their language," she said.
"Having this coloring book to give them a comfort and a way to interact and ask questions themselves. It’s so helpful.”
The digital coloring book will eventually be translated into 16 languages.
