Vaccination Stories

Today, Mayuki has to go for her first booster jab for her Japanese encephalitis vaccination. We hadn’t booked it, but there were slots today, so we made a quick appointment. First, however, we had to convince Mayuki that this was a good idea. She remembered last time, so she wasn’t initially enthusiastic, but after Yuriko reminded her that she hadn’t actually passed out last time, I spent about half an hour convincing her that, although the injection did hurt a bit, it would stop her getting ill.

I don’t know how far she understood, but she did come round to the idea, and agree to go to have the injection.

Then, while she was waiting for Yuriko to get ready, she drew a picture book.

This book is the story of Moko-chan, whose mother told her to go and have her booster jab by herself. She was crying on the way to the clinic as she thought about the needle (picture of crying Moko-chan with a thought bubble of the needle), but then she realised that she could throw the needles in the sea. (Smiling Moko-chan, with thought bubble of needles going into the sea.) So she went to the clinics, gathered up the needles, and threw them in the sea.

But then, Mayuki added, the other children at kindergarten told her that she should have the vaccination, so she went back to the clinics to have it properly.

Apparently, the Moko-chan stories are very famous in America, and Mayuki just made them up today. This story is number two, and tomorrow she will make up number one. I’m looking forward to it.