What’s happening?
Johns Hopkins University has launched a free two-hour course to teach people how to empathetically talk to parents who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.
Why is this important?
Dr. Rupali Limaye, a behavioral scientist at Johns Hopkins, wants to equip adults with skills to talk to weary parents in a way that doesn’t elicit negative emotions. “Instead of having a doctor, or a nurse, or another health care professional, we thought about how we can equip parents,” Limaye said. “So, when you have these conversations at the bus stop, which I have almost every day with parents, or you’re doing school sports with other parents, that you’re able to talk about it in this way that is conversational.”
Currently, about 36 percent of Baltimore City residents ages 5-19 have received at least one vaccine dose.
Anything else I should know?
The online class will also discuss how vaccines are created, how to recognize misinformation online, and why younger children between 5 and 11 years old should get vaccinated.
You can read more here.
Editorial Disclaimer: Reporting for this story was provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and we thank them for their support. However, the findings and conclusions presented in this article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.
