[music]

Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. How old do you think Big Bird is? Any guesses? 5? 15? I thought 52 because Big Bird was created in 1969 while he's actually six years old, which means that this week, he was eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Here is Big Bird talking on CNN this week with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Big Bird is afraid of needles, and his five-year-old friend, Rosita talks to him about her experience.

Big Bird: Hi, Rosita. Did it hurt when you got the vaccine shot? Were you scared?

Rosita: I was a little scared, Big Bird, but my mommy and my papi helped me, and even that detail helped me too.

Speaker 1: Oh, Gatita. Rosita, is that your lovey?

Rosita: See? When I was getting ready for my vaccine, I sat in the chair and I held that detail over my belly like this, and I watched Gatita movie in and out on my belly. You know what? Before I knew it, that shot was over and I had this cool vaccine Band-Aid on my arm.

Big Bird: Really? That was it?

Rosita: Yes, I barely felt it. You know, my arm only hurts a little.

Big Bird: Well, gee, thanks, Rosita. That makes me feel a lot better.

Brian: Rosita and Big Bird on CNN. That was Rosita's experience. Now, Big Bird is fully vaccinated, breaking news. Now, we want to hear about your experience. If you're 5 to 11 years old, call in with your parents' help and permission, How is your experience getting vaccinated? Michael in Manhattan here on WNYC. Hi, Michael. Thanks so much for calling in today.

Michael: Hi.

Brian: Where did you get vaccinated?

Michael: I think it was a city truck, it's outside of my mom's school. There was this little tent, and me and my dad got an appointment there. Then I went into the truck, and then there were a couple of other kids there. Then I got my shot. It didn't hurt that bad, maybe because I fell in my skateboard before.

Brian: Compared to that, it didn't hurt that bad.

Michael: Yes, not at all.

Brian: Did your dad get the shot too, did you say? Were the parents eligible?

Michael: At the place I got vaccinated, it was just for 5 to 11-year-olds. Parents didn't get vaccinated.

Brian: Not right there. What was the conversation like before you went through the shot? Before you went, did you have to talk with your parents about like, "Do I want this?" Did they have to talk you into it? How'd that go?

Michael: No, they didn't really have to talk me into it. I was so excited because I was going to get to see all my friends.

Brian: That's great. Well, Michael, congratulations and thanks a lot for being our first caller. We really appreciate it. Let's go next to Grilden in Brooklyn. You're on WNYC. Am I saying your name right. Is it Grilden?

Rubin: Do you mean Rubin?

Brian: Oh, okay. Rubin, sorry. We got the name wrong on my computer screen here. How are you doing and how old are you?

Rubin: It's okay. I'm eight years old.

Rubin's father: No, you just turned nine.

Rubin: I mean nine.

Brian: Happy birthday. When was your birthday?

Rubin: October 30th.

Brian: Pretty recent. You get your birthday and Halloween in the same two-day stretch. I hope you don't get cheated on the candy, like you don't pick the two separate events. Think about that.

Rubin: No. I do get a lot.

Brian: You have to negotiate that one next year. When did you get your shot and where?

Rubin: I got it yesterday and I got it at the doctor's office.

Brian: Not at the school, but at the doctor's office. How'd that go?

Rubin: It went pretty well. My parents had talked me into it a little. I hate shots a lot, but this one was pretty easy. He said lower before I knew it and I only felt a little pain, but now, it's just pretty sore.

Brian: How'd your parents talk you into it?

Rubin: They promised me Five Guys after.

Brian: Oh. Did you get it right away or is that Five Guys still pending?

Rubin: We had it last night for dinner.

Brian: Do you have a favorite kind of burger?

Rubin: Bacon cheeseburger.

Brian: All the way to the bacon cheese. What are you hoping to do when you're fully vaccinated that you couldn't do?

Rubin: I'm hoping to go to the movies.

Brian: Congratulations. Thank you so much for calling in. I think I hear dad on the phone too. Thanks for shepherding this interaction along and good luck to your whole family. Let's go next to Abigail in Long Beach. Hey, Abigail, you're on WNYC.

Abigail: Hi.

Brian: When did you get your shot?

Abigail: I got mine in Sunday at LIJ hospital.

Brian: That's probably a good safe place to get it. How old are you?

Abigail: I'm 11.

Brian: How was the experience?

Abigail: Well, I was nervous and happy and scared at the same time, but I knew this was going to be the right thing for me to do because I wanted my life to be more normal than it is during COVID.

Brian: What haven't you been able to do that you're looking forward to?

Abigail: I haven't been able to-- What have I been able to do? Well, I hadn't been able to go to the movies. I want to go places where I don't have to wear a mask 24/7, but I'm still going to wear a mask all the time because I want to stay safe.

Brian: Yes, for a while. Hopefully, that day will come where if enough people get vaccinated, we won't have to wear masks anymore or as much anymore. Well, that's a good life lesson that you got there about doing something that was scary a little bit because it's going to be good in the long-term, right?

Abigail: Right.

Brian: Abigail, thank you so much. Let's go next to Paul in Sparta. Hi, Paul. You're on WNYC. How old are you?

Paul: Well, actually, I'm 47. I got my eight-year-old vaccinated this past weekend at Walgreens.

Brian: I did say parents can call too, congratulations. How did that go for you and your kid?

Paul: Well, it was fine. She just winced a little bit, and then it was over. The pharmacist took care of everything really quickly. There was a few people in line and few kids waiting around. It was really no drama at all.

Brian: What are you hoping for your daughter or for the family, for that matter, will come of this vaccination?

Paul: Well, we're just going to go to Disneyworld right before Christmas so we'll be much more at ease when we make that trip.

Brian: That is cool. Paul, thank you very much for checking in. Kai in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Kai. How old are you?

Kai: Hi. I'm nine.

Brian: Where'd you get your shot?

Kai: I got my shot at my school. It's in Manhattan Valley Tech.

Brian: What was the scene like? Did they have a tent outside or was inside?

Kai: No. We went inside the school. I was really nervous to do it because I don't like shots, but such a way with that seemed really fun because I got to hang out with my friends. I have a friend named Elliot, he was there with me too. At the end, it was like a little tiny pinch and then it was done. I felt really good that I did the right thing, and I'm really happy I got my first vaccination.

Brian: That is really cool. Go ahead.

Kai: I have nationals. I have Trakni. I have a Trakni in this nationals. It's in Kentucky. If I get my recommendations, I can fly there on a plane because I really like flying on planes.

Brian: That is so cool. You're nine and you're running track competitively.

Kai: Yes.

Brian: Wow. What's your favorite event?

Kai: My favorite event is probably the 800-meter dash. It's not a dash.

Brian: That's pretty long for a dash.

Kai: The team is a Prospect [unintelligible 00:10:05] Learning Club. I really like that team. I met a lot of new friends.

Brian: That is awesome. Did you go out and watch the marathon at all on Sunday?

Kai: No, I was with my mom. We had a lot to do that day. I-

Brian: But what? Go ahead.

Kai: -at the end of that day, I ran to the Williamsburg and back because I live literally right by site down.

Brian: That is also great. Was there any talk about-- I hope I'm not revealing something here I shouldn't reveal to you, but was there any talk about $100 when you got your shot at your school?

Kai: Yes. My mom told me about it when I came back.

Brian: Who gets the $100? You or your mom?

Kai: Me. I think I'm going to get it.

Brian: Oh, yes?

Kai: My mom says she is being sweet.

Brian: What are you going to do with it?

Kai: I want to use my money wisely, so I'm definitely going to think about it because I'm not sure yet.

Brian: Kai, you are wise beyond your nine years. Thank you very much for calling in. Good luck to you and your family. Go win at the nationals in Kentucky. Gash in Brooklyn-

Dash: Each book costs like $9.

Brian: -you're on WNYC. Do I have your name right? Is it Gash?

Dash: Oh, me?

Brian: You. Hi, it's you.

Dash: Oh, yes. My name is Dash.

Brian: Oh, Dash with a D?

Dash: Yes.

Brian: You should be in the running club with that name. Not your thing?

Dash: Yes, not really.

Brian: How old are you?

Dash: I am 10.

Brian: When did you get your shot and where?

Dash: I got it Sunday somewhere in Manhattan, I don't really know.

Brian: I see that you told my screener or something about what you're going to do with $100, right?

Dash: Yes. Save up so I can buy some books.

Brian: Oh, that's a really good thing to do with the money. Do you have any books in mind?

Dash: Yes.

Brian: Such as?

Dash: Well, the rest of the Wings of Fire books because I don't have that much.

Brian: How many books are there in that series?

Dash: 20.

Brian: Wow.

Dash: Coming close-

Brian: How many have you read?

Dash: -what?

Brian: How many of you read?

Dash: I have read, well, two prologue books, three graphic novels and four regular books. That'd be-

Brian: Seven.

Dash: -I have read like 10.

Brian: That's great, half the series. Well, congratulations, Dash. Great if you got your shot. Sounds like you want to use the money for a really cool thing. Good luck to you and your family. Roscoe in Brooklyn want to talk about signing up for the shot, I think. Hey, Roscoe, how old are you?

Roscoe: Hi. I'm 11.

Brian: You have a story about trying to sign up for a shot at one place and couldn't get it?

Roscoe: Yes. Well, I signed up on the Walgreens' website and every time we reloaded, they kept having less and less spots. Then when we went to an NYC site, on the first day, they were available. There were three people, so that was pretty surprising.

Brian: Oh, the contrast, the difference between the two sites was pretty surprising, right?

Roscoe: Yes.

Brian: When and where did you get the shot? Where did you get it?

Roscoe: Well, I got mine a week ago at a pop-up bus in Brooklyn. It was pretty quick and now, I'm half-vaccinated. That's cool.

Brian: Cool. Just one more shot to go. What do you want to do once you're fully vaccinated?

Roscoe: Well, one of the big things I couldn't do when I was not vaccinated was go to Trapeze place that I liked going to. That's pretty fun. Now, I get to do that.

Brian: That's an indoor class, right? That is great. Well, be safe up there. Roscoe, thanks for checking in. We're going to give a parent the last word. Nicole in West Orange because I think she did something to make getting vaxed fun. Nicole, we've got 20 seconds for you. Go for it.

Nicole: We live in West Orange, New Jersey where Essex County has done a great job organizing. Our kids are nervous, but they had really awesome decorated little areas for the kids to get vaccinated in with music playing, and then there was a movie playing in the waiting area. My kids have food allergies so we had to wait longer just for extra observance. There's a little nerve-wracking moment there when you're a food allergy parent, but everything was great.

Then they gave us free zoo passes to the Turtle Back Zoo. We headed to the zoo the next day. We had a day off and it was a great experience.

Brian: Zoo is the prize. Nicole, thank you very much. Kids, parents, thanks for all your calls. Congratulations on getting your first shots. Thank you, thank you, thank you for chiming in. I hope a lot of other people got to hear you. Brian Lehrer Show is produced by Lisa Allison, Zoey Azulay, Amina Srna, Carl Boisrond, and Max Balton. Today, Zach got a recall and works on our daily podcast. Our interns were James O'Donnell and Prerna Chaudhary.

 

Copyright © 2021 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.