Hesitancy is high among some segments of the population, creating fissures between parents and children who hold opposing views. Teens see powerful motivators in gaining vaccinated status. Once-routine freedoms—from school sports to summer camp to attending concerts—might now require a shot. Other children are rattled by the thought of getting sick or infecting a loved one.
“There’s a lot more emphasis on getting the Covid vaccine than on other vaccines,” said Arin Parsa, the 13-year-older founder of the advocacy group Teens for Vaccines. “Schools have shut down, teens can’t go outside. They care about their parents or other older family members in the household.”
Arin said he is getting requests for help from teens who say they want the shot but their parents are opposed. Most are seeking advice on how to persuade their parents, while others want help getting a shot without their parents’ permission.
“There’s a lot more emphasis on getting the Covid vaccine than on other vaccines,” said Arin Parsa, the 13-year-older founder of the advocacy group Teens for Vaccines. “Schools have shut down, teens can’t go outside. They care about their parents or other older family members in the household.”
Arin said he is getting requests for help from teens who say they want the shot but their parents are opposed. Most are seeking advice on how to persuade their parents, while others want help getting a shot without their parents’ permission.
“I just want to be able to go to school in person, go outside and all of that,” a 16-year-old girl recently posted on a Reddit thread that Arin moderates. “I can’t change my parents’ minds about vaccines, they’re too deep in their own ideas about why vaccines are bad. I want to get a vaccine without them knowing.”
