The SHOTS Book: A Little Brother’s Superhero Tale
Jul 17, 2015

My name is Ethan, I am 14 years old, and the author of The Shots Book; A Little Brother’s Superhero Tale.  My big sister is the student filmmaker who wrote the documentary, Invisible Threat; a peer-to-peer film that explores the science of vaccines and outbreaks. While she was making the film I was due to get a shot for school and she wanted to document my experience. Yes, I was the Guinea Pig in the documentary.  Actually, once I learned about herd immunity, I wanted to get my shot and do my part to protect my community including my soon to be baby cousins who were about to born. That’s why I was so surprised that herd immunity wasn’t in my science textbook and this inspired me to write my own book for children getting shots.

The Shots Book is an illustrated children’s book and everything I wish I had known when I was getting my kindergarten shots. My book explains why we get vaccines to protect our health and the health of others in our community who can’t be vaccinated. It’s my story about how I learned about herd immunity and how my puppy and I became community immunity superheroes. Just like Invisible Threat my book is a peer to peer educational resource, because sometimes it takes a kid to explain something to a kid.

My book is dedicated to children who can’t be immunized and because many of them are stuck in the hospital for long periods of time and I want them to know they have a friend who cares.

I’m donating a book to a children’s hospital for every book purchased.

Now that I know real children who had transplants or fought cancer and medically can’t be vaccinated, I understand how critically import herd immunity is.I’m putting together some ideas on my website to help promote community immunity from a kid’s perspective that I think is missing. While getting a shot isn’t fun, it’s a whole lot better when we understand why our parents are taking us to the doctor to get vaccinated. The “to keep you healthy” line just doesn’t cut it.

Kids should be celebrated when we get our immunizations and get a treat, because we are protecting our own health while protecting our communities and that is what superheroes do.

My goal is to raise awareness about community immunity and get herd immunity added to our science textbooks.

I hope that you will join the movement by using the hashtag #IamTheHerd, showing that you are vaccinated to help protect those who rely on herd immunity to keep them safe.  

To buy the book and allow me to donate a book to a children’s hospital, go to http://theshotsbook.com/.

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