Hawaii comic strip teaches keiki how the COVID vaccine works

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Now that keiki as young as five years old can get the COVID vaccine, they might have some questions about how it works and why they might want to get it.

There are many resources out there to help answer concerns, including the Keiki Heroes program. The comic strip teaches keiki that they can be heroes by helping to protect those who care for them.

The comic strip follows Hoku and Kai who want to learn about the coronavirus vaccines. Their doctor compares the vaccine to a ninja that gives their body’s defenders special training to fight off the virus.

“We’re used to getting shots for chicken pox and all kinds of things, but this was a little different,” said Rebecca Choi, Keiki Heroes’ project lead. “So in our story, Kai and Hoku actually learn that the COVID vaccine is like a master ninja and he teaches how to fight COVID by working with the white blood cells that are already in your body, training them up to fight COVID, so it’s really fun, but it’s also scientifically true about how the vaccine works.”

The book is being distributed across many keiki vaccination clinics, as well as elementary schools on the Big Island. It’s also available for download here.