Sometimes I go to see a nurse to get a vaccine. A vaccine is a medicine that is usually given with a shot.

Germs are tiny things that can make people sick. My body can fight germs, but it can use some help.

A vaccine teaches my body how to fight certain germs. Then my body is ready if those germs come near.

Vaccines help keep me healthy. They can also help protect other people around me.

If I do not get a vaccine, my body may not be ready for those germs. I could get sick with an illness that the vaccine helps prevent.

The Nurse will get the vaccine ready and tell me what is happening. She helps keep me safe.

The shot is quick. I may feel a pinch, a poke, or a sting. This feeling is usually short.

There are things I can do to help. I can take slow belly breaths, breathing in and then out.

I can look at something else, like a picture or a toy. I can squeeze a hand or a soft toy.

I can relax my arm and keep it still. I can count out loud until the shot is done.

I can tell the Nurse if I feel worried. I can ask her to tell me when she is ready.

When the shot is done, my body is getting help to stay healthy. I did something important for my body.