Paid Time off for Childhood Vaccination
Sample Email to Employees

Dear Team,

As difficult as the pandemic has been for all of us, it has been especially challenging for working parents on our team. They have had to help children manage remote schooling while also balancing their own physical and mental health needs. And while the rest of us have been able to choose to be vaccinated, working parents have had to worry about their youngest children remaining vulnerable to COVID-19 until a vaccine was authorized for them. 
‍
So I share the excitement of many of our working-parent colleagues that relief is at hand. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) have granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11. This makes the vaccine available to 28 million more American children. Getting them vaccinated will protect us all.

[If you are a parent, share that you’ve chosen to vaccinate your child and encourage other parents to do the same.]  Some of you may have questions about why younger children need to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The truth is, more than 6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19 in the U.S. since the start of the pandemic. COVID-19 has caused serious illness, complications, and even death in hundreds of children and teens. Over the last year, COVID-19 is the 8th leading cause of death among children 5 to 11. Children with underlying health conditions may be even more likely to become severely ill.
‍
So, just as pediatricians recommend seatbelts and car seats, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 and older. Based on extensive data collected from clinical trials among children, the FDA and CDC have determined that the vaccine is safe and extremely effective for children ages 5 and older, and side effects are rare. 
‍
Your family’s safety is important to our company. That’s why I am committed to helping you get the facts about vaccines for your children, and making it as easy as possible to get yourselves and your eligible children vaccinated. Simply let your manager know what you need, and we will do our best to accommodate you. [Add here COMPANY-specific information about paid time off or other incentives for vaccination and recovery from possible side effects.]
‍
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions about taking flexible time off to get your eligible children vaccinated for COVID-19 and caught up on routine immunizations. In the meantime, if you have specific questions about the vaccines and your health, I encourage you to get answers from your doctor or healthcare provider or visit healthychildren.org. 
‍
As always, please continue to prioritize the health and safety of yourselves, your families, and each other.

Yours sincerely,
‍
NAME

President/CEO, Chief Medical Officer, or other trusted leader