Neighborhood Doctor: Comforting Your Kids When it comes time to get their Vaccines
Getting vaccines can be a really scary experience, not just for parents but especially for kids. On this episode of Neighborhood Doctor we address how to validate those real feelings of fear, and how to best support your child getting vaccinated. Letting them know that it is scary and it will hurt a bit but the pain will pass is just one step in how to comfort your kids when it's time for their vaccines
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Our Host
Dr. Ryan Hassan
Transcript:
Ari O'Donovan: (00:00)
Hi everyone. Ari here. Before the episode starts, I wanna say thank you for listening and invite you to boost Oregon's annual fundraiser. It'll be on November 4th in downtown Portland, Oregon, and there's gonna be drinks, food, live music. It's gonna be a ton of fun. Boost Oregon wants to give fans of the show half price tickets. If you wanna take advantage of that discount, be sure to click the top link in the description and select partner admission. By the way, the second link will also have the event details. So if you're around the great Pacific Northwest, we hope to see you on November 4th, and of course, enjoy this episode.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (00:03)
I am Ryan, pediatrician and dad here to answer my patient's most common medical questions. So your kiddo is ready to get some vaccines and you wanna make sure they have a comfortable experience. What do you do? Getting vaccines can be a really scary experience, not just for parents, but especially for kids. It is normal and appropriate and completely acceptable for kids to be scared of needles and to be scared to get shots, and it's okay for them to feel that way. The first thing I think a parent should know when their child is getting vaccinated. It's important to validate those feelings, those fears and say, yeah, it is scary. I understand it's okay to be sad. It's okay to be scared. These are normal feelings. We shouldn't shame our kiddos for feeling these, these feelings. So I think that's, you know, the number one thing I would start with.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (00:48)
Beyond that, I think it's important to remember that your child is gonna be okay and that they're safe, and make sure that they know that they're gonna be okay and that they're safe, and that yes, even though this needle will hurt when you get a shot, the pain is going to pass with time and we're still going to get it because it helps you stay safe. And along those lines, I think it's important for parents to talk to their children about the vaccines. So prepare your child ahead of time. Do this even from the first visit at two months when they get their first round of vaccines. And I think we often underestimate how well our, our children understand what we're saying. Uh, even if they, before they learn English, they know what we mean when we talk to them. So tell 'em what to expect.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (01:33)
Tell 'em that they're gonna get a shot. It's gonna hurt a little bit. Don't lie about it, but that it will go away quickly. It's not gonna cause any long-term harm for them. And it's what we need to do to keep them safe. Make sure they know that they're gonna be safe the whole time. And if you help them know what to expect, it'll make it a less anxiety inducing experience. It can also be helpful to be aware of devices that can help make shots less painful. So things like a shot blocker or a buzzy bee could be options to ask your physician about or just to buy over the counter to bring with you when you're getting your shots, your child shots, because they can make the needle much less painful. Another thing to be aware of is that when you're getting your flu vaccine, ask your doctor or your healthcare provider if they have the nasal flu mist, because children over two sometimes can get the flu mist as an alternative to the shot.
Dr. Ryan Hassan: (02:22)
And this is just a nasal spray that provides the same protection, but doesn't require the use of a needle. So this is a nice alternative for that. The last thing I'd like to say about this is that I think it's important for parents to know that we should never threaten our children with shots. In general, I would discourage parents from threatening their children in any way. You know, if you're threatening your child to say, oh, you know, if you don't behave, you're gonna get a shot, well then you're not helping them to become comfortable with shots and to learn that this, this is not something you do as a punishment. It's something we do keep you safe when it's necessary. And that's the message we should be sending at all times. And of course, the
Speaker 2: (02:59)
Other important thing to be mindful of is that, you know, if we're, if we're threatening our children, then we're not fostering healthy relationships. You know, you wouldn't want to be threatened when you are acting a certain way, so it's not helpful to or appropriate to threaten your child. Remember, behaviors are a reflection of how we feel, and the best way to address behaviors is by addressing the feelings that are leading those behaviors. Hopefully some of those tips are helpful and we'll make the next vaccine visit that you have with your child a little less stressful for you and for them. That's my show. If you have other medical questions you'd like me to answer, reach out to Boost Oregon online and come back next week for a new episode of boosting our Voices with my friend Ari.