Afraid of the needle? York Region kids get help rolling up sleeves for COVID-19 vaccines

Arms like spagetti, lollipop distractions, special clinics can help those with needle phobia

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 26, 2021
Kim Zarzour

You may be excited at the prospect of COVID-19 vaccines for kids, but your child may not.

How do you help your little ones get over their fear of needles in this next, important, stage of the pandemic?

Lisa Skippen knew that her daughter, still feeling traumatized by last year's major surgery (and lots of painful needles), would be fearful.

So when the time came Thursday morning, the Newmarket mom was prepared.

“She freaked out at first,” Skippen said. “But it’s more a fear of how the needle looks. I created a distraction -- turned her away to face the lollipop container -- and boom. She said it felt like a mosquito bite!

“Now we are getting Dairy Queen. She’s my little hero. All the kids are.”

Distraction worked for Richmond Hill resident Vishal Gupta’s five-year-old son, too.

“I note something my son really wants to talk about and I bring it up 10 seconds before the shot. Once he's chatting away, he doesn't even notice the needle.”

On Nov. 23, York Region opened scheduling for those aged 5 to 11 and local families responded with enthusiasm.

In the first 48 hours, 11,000 of the region’s 91,000 children in the 5 to 11 age group had registered to roll up their sleeves, said Dr. Barry Pakes, local medical officer of health.

To make the process easier, Pakes recommends letting your child bring a toy, device or other item for comfort.

It helps to acknowledge your child’s concerns and talk to them about what will happen and why it’s important, said Dr. Charmaine van Schaik, physician leader, maternal child program at Southlake Regional Health Centre.

Ask your child, what would make them more comfortable?

Numbing creams or patches can help -- contact your local public health nurse for more information -- and encourage them to let their arm go “jiggly like spaghetti”, taking deep belly breaths before, during and after the needle.

You may also want to take advantage of a special COVID-19 vaccination clinic for anyone 5+ with needle anxiety, set for Friday, Nov. 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 9060 Jane Street in Vaughan.

This clinic is for anyone who has not yet received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and feels anxious, or for those who had a difficult experience receiving their first dose and are hesitant to receive their second.

Extra time will be allotted and clinic staff and immunizers are trained to support with coping mechanism.

To accommodate extra support measures, appointments are required and can be booked at york.ca/covid19vaccine

More information, including tips to reduce anxiety, is available on the york.ca website.

Ashley Caldwell, 16, with developmental disabilities, finds it helps to avoid the urge to look at the needle. The Richmond Hill resident found more helpful advice on the Ready for my Shot Canadian resource site.

More tips from Chantalle Jacqueline, a local nurse who works with children: Engage their other senses. Bring a favourite book with bright, colourful pictures or a sensory toy to hold in the hand on the arm that is not getting the injection, a snack they enjoy, or a headset with their favourite music.

Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine is an important decision, Pakes said.

More than 300 children have been hospitalized in Canada due to the coronavirus and there have been many deaths around the world, he said.

The vaccine protects children, he added, but it also allows them not to have to isolate if exposed to the virus, enabling them to gather safely and attend in-school classes and extracurriculars.

If you have more questions about the COVID-19 vaccines, you may call 1-800-361-5653 or contact the free Sick Kids COVID-19 consult service.