Web article: Some parents want to wait to vaccinate their kids. Here’s why doctors say do it now

Slug: Kids 5 and Up Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Should we vaccinate kids? 

Correspondents: Allison Aubrey and Selena Simmone-Duffin

Air Date: Nov 3/ 11 a.m. 

Run time: 2:55

RADIO SCRIPT SAMPLE

Slug: Kids 5 and Up Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Should we vaccinate kids? 

Correspondents: Allison Aubrey and Selena Simmone-Duffin

Air Date: Nov 3/ 11 a.m. 

Run time: 2:55

INTRO: “NPR CORONAVIRUS UPDATES”

VOICE 1: ALLISON AUBREY 

VOICE 2: SELENA SIMMONE-DUFFIN

VOICE 3: DR. IBUKUNOLUWA KALU

VOICE 1: ALLISON AUBREY: On Oct. 29, the Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for kids and parents are voicing many concerns and asking many questions. NPR’s Selena Simmone-Duffin and I have met with pediatricians and infectious disease experts to help answer some of those questions. 

NATSND: SFX of kids laughing in background, school lockers closing, chatter in hallways for five seconds then fade out. 

ALLISON: It’s true that most children infected with the virus have only mild symptoms and those children rarely die from the disease. But scientists and health officials are recommending that vaccination could prevent many infections, as well as disruptions to schooling, hospitalizations and rare but severe complications of the disease and can mitigate unknowing spread to vulnerable people. 

VOICE 2: SELENA SIMMONE-DUFFIN: Dr. Ee-book-uno-lua Kalu, of duke university has offered many insights for parents on vaccinating their kids, and eases concerns over side effects. 

VOICE 3: DR. IBUKUNOLUWA KALU: The most common side effects were pain at the injection site, fatigue, headache, and muscle aches, but were ultimately fine in two or three days. We use smaller doses to reduce the already low risk of myocarditis, which is when the middle layer of the heart wall becomes inflamed. There have been numerous studies done and tons of research put into this, so the FDA wouldn’t approve it unless it was safe. 

SIMMONE-DUFFIN: As the holiday seasons approach, and many yearn to catch up with relatives and friends from last year, experts say that children are essential to combatting this virus and it’s spread. Be sure to stay tuned to NPR’s Coronavirus Updates for more information. (TOSS TO ALLISON AND TRANSITION TO NEXT STORY)