Appointments for grade-school kids to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are starting to become available, and the media continues to send the message that this is something to fear.  Significant side effects from the Pfizer vaccine (the only vaccine that has gotten emergency use authorization for children) are much rarer than significant health impacts from COVID-19 itself, even in children. But after close to a year of the right-wing media, social media conspiracy theorists, and too many Republican politicians spreading fear and outright lies about the safety of the vaccines, a significant number of parents are opposed to or hesitant about vaccinating their kids. And of course they are all we hear about. Read more