how do you explain to children?

We are partial vaxers, we also vax according to our own timetable.

We agreed in the beginning that our girls would get their 4yr vax before they went to school. And with DD1 going next year, the conversation has started again.

So yesterday I took DD3 to get her 2month vax. Last night I was explaining to DD1 why DD3 was sore and unhappy (she had been at preschool when we went to the drs).
I went on to explain to DD1 that she would be getting her needles too soon.

She responded with: "Why mummy? Why do I need to get needles? They hurt"

Now I couldnt answer her. I couldnt answer her because the answer that came into my head was "because sweety these needles protect you from the possibility of getting an illness that you may or may never ever get and you wont pass it on to someone else".

I didnt want to answer with this. It didnt sound right, Its not how Im raising my girls to think.

So heres my question how do you explain vaccination to your children?

#Please note I dont want this to turn into the usual debates that vaccination seems to get. Im purely interested in how you have had to explain it to your children, or if you are nonvaxers how you have explained this to your children.

DD1 just had one yesterday. I just said to her that it was medicine so that she doesn't get sick. To protect her if she is around sick people so she doesn't catch what they have. She was fine with that. Well, the explanation, not the needle.

I had this conversation when DD1 had her 4 yr vax last May. Told her that everyone gets sick sometimes but there are some things that can make us really sick, so we have vaccinations. I was honest with her and told her that yes, the needle might hurt but it will only hurt for a few seconds and it was a bit like a mosquito bite. She went happily to have her vax and told me that it didn't feel as sore as a mosquito bite at all.

Both girls watched me giving myself injections last year through TTC and pregnancy so they are now pretty used to needles being a normalish thing to do. DD2 is due for her 4 yr vax next month and the two are already talking about it - DD1 saying its DD2's turn so she doesn't get really sick and DD2 treating it almost as if its a good thing that you have when you're a big girl

So far, I have just explained that mummy thinks it is important as sometimes other people can pass on germs and the vaccinations are to help you stop getting sick. They will not stop everything though.

My DS2 has to get his 4yo ones in August. We haven't started talking about them yet. Will probably do it in the days before hand.

My eldest decided that he never had to go to the Drs again as he was never going to get sick after he had his 4yo vaccinations. I was able to reassure him that he didn't need any vaccinations for years which calmed his anxiety about going back.

I suppose it's about how we approach everything else. Simple straight and at their level.

Well this is how we explain not vaxx'ing.

Hugs.

Thanks ladies.