With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today during our fall member drive.
Vaccine Talks: Convincing My Grandparents That Bill Gates Did Not Want To Microchip Them

This is part of a series of conversations that Cal State Northridge students had with loved ones about COVID-19 vaccinations. Planning your own conversation with family or friends? Here are some tips.
Gevork Apikyan, Northridge
My grandmother has taken the virus very seriously from the start, whether it was home remedies she found on Facebook like eating garlic every day or drinking lemon juice, or sanitizing and masking up during her outings.
After about five months, she started freaking out when her friends, who were less careful, started contracting the virus and being hospitalized. This put a lot of stress on her, especially because my grandpa owns and runs an autobody shop.
My grandparents, both immigrants in their early 70's from Armenia, aren't the best at navigating the web and neither are their friends, so anti-masking and anti-vax conspiracies run rampant. It is beyond exhausting having to help them navigate what is right from wrong. With the amount of misinformation circling the web, my grandmother also had her doubts about the vaccine, thinking Bill Gates wanted to microchip her, thinking the government wanted to kill everyone with the vaccine; it was tough.
But after sitting down with her and showing her the benefits of getting vaccinated, and having her doctor tell her it was safe, she agreed to it, and we were able to get her the vaccine alongside my grandfather. They are now safe and sound, and that is all I can really ask for.
READ THE REST OF OUR 'VACCINE TALKS' SERIES:
- Getting My Father Vaccinated Before He Gets COVID-19 Again
- When Will My Teen Brother, A Cancer Survivor, Be Protected?
- My Mom Is Diabetic, Cleans Offices And Is Not Eligible Yet For The Vaccine. Or Is She?
- My Mom Is A Teacher, But She Did Not Want To Be First To Get Vaccinated
- My Grandmother Surprised Me On The Vaccine
- When Your Dad Supports The Vaccine And Your Mom Thinks It’s Dangerous
- For My Grandmother, It’s Like Polio All Over Again
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletter. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

-
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight.
-
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious.
-
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress.
-
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
-
Kevin Lacy has an obsession with documenting California’s forgotten and decaying places.
-
Restaurants share resources in the food hall in West Adams as Los Angeles reckons with increasing restaurant closures.