“If you’re like me, at 16 and knowing your parent is against vaccines, I’d just educate yourself and your parent on why it’s important for you,” Lindenberger said. “Talking is that first, best step.”
Arin Parsa, founder of Teens for Vaccines, a group dedicated to reporting misinformation and advocating for vaccinations, is only 13 but said he knows vaccines save lives. After seeing some teens unable to obtain consent for vaccinations, Parsa told USA TODAY that he started the group to give teens a voice and platform.
Rue Soto said at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, her parents were against vaccines. Soto, who turned 18 last month, said she spent months and months social distancing and then in virtual school. Eventually, she grew "exhausted" and wanted to receive the COVID-19 vaccine as a way back to normalcy.
It wasn't until Soto presented her parents with pages of information on the Moderna vaccine that they started "coming around." Soto said she continuously asked her parents to listen to why she wanted to be vaccinated until she convinced them it was the right step for the family.
"I truly just talked and talked until they realized getting vaccinated was best, not just for me, but for the family," Soto said.
