Helping Kids Feel Less Fear of Flu Shots

Preparing for Kids’ Flu Vaccination: Stay Positive and Be Proactive

Getting flu vaccinations for kids who are fearful of needles starts with an empathetic mindset and proactive preparation. This includes:

• Staying calm. “Kids pick up so much on their parents’ demeanor,” explains Thompson. Keeping a grounded, neutral presence in the face of children’s anxieties can better support fearful kids in getting a flu vaccine. Make sure to stay relaxed and positive before, during and after a child has their vaccine. Avoid telling scary stories or making threats about getting an injection.
  
  It might take some effort to remain calm when a child is feeling anxiety or fear about a flu shot. Take the time necessary to get composed before talking to them about their upcoming vaccination.
  
  
• Explaining what to expect. By telling children what they can expect when getting a flu vaccine, you can help ease their anticipation of the pain, which may be more frightening than the needle stick from the shot itself.
  
  When talking with children about an upcoming flu vaccine appointment, acknowledge that they might feel a pinch or a sting from the needle. Then reassure them that the pain usually goes away quickly, and that you will be there with them to help them get through the experience.
  
  It’s important to be honest about the level of pain that kids might feel from a flu vaccine. Telling the truth about what a kid might feel from a vaccine needle stick will help kids maintain trust in you for future discussions about vaccines or other preventative healthcare visits.
  
  Some kids might have a hard time understanding how long they’ll likely feel the effects of a vaccine needle stick. Using an analogy they can relate to might be helpful. For example, if they’ve had an accident on a playground, they might be able to understand that a needle stick from a vaccine may likely feel less painful, or at least painful for a shorter amount of time.
  
  For babies, who aren’t likely to understand the words you’re using to describe flu vaccination, speaking to them in a calm, soothing will help reassure and comfort them before and during the experience.
  
  
• Explaining why. Talking about what to expect presents a good opportunity to help kids understand why they’re being taken to get a flu vaccine. “It’s really important that people know that the flu shot doesn’t just protect you from the flu—it also protects you from getting seriously sick from it,” Thompson says. “This is important for people to know, it gets lost and people need to understand it.”
  
  Making anxious children aware of how flu vaccines can also help protect others’ health might also make them feel a sense of responsibility to their communities. This could, in turn, help them develop a sense of bravery in being able to face a flu vaccination.
  
  In talking to kids about getting a flu vaccine, be honest and explain why they’re getting a flu shot—but keep explanations simple and brief. While it’s important to express empathy, being overly reassuring and talking at great length about the shot may cause children more worry and fear than otherwise. Some kids might have a better flu vaccine experience if they have a little advance notice they’re getting a flu shot; for others, a brief mention when you arrive at a doctor’s office might be better.
  
  
• Scheduling to reduce stress. Fitting a flu vaccine into busy family lives can feel like a challenge. However, many places, such as urgent care, public health or university student clinics, provide flu vaccinations on a walk-in basis. Using these services may give parents and caregivers a sense of flexibility and convenience in getting flu vaccinations for children in between other tasks and commitments.
  
  For children who are feeling anxious over getting a vaccine, though, it can be worthwhile to schedule time for a flu vaccination that doesn’t take place among other appointments in a day. This approach can help parents and caregivers reduce any sense of stress about feeling rushed to get their daily appointments and tasks completed. Likewise, this help reduce potential added stress to children who already feel anxious about vaccination.
  
  Aside from this, scheduling a flu vaccine at a familiar setting, such as the pediatrician’s office that children are used to visiting, can be comforting, too, says Thompson.
  
  
• Bringing a favorite item from home. Having a child bring a favorite toy or book to a flu vaccination can be a pleasant distraction to them during their visit. Even a beloved blanket can be comforting. It’s a good idea to check in about bringing these kinds of items with the healthcare provider who will be giving the flu vaccination. Letting them know about any fears children have around needles will help healthcare providers tailor their support to them.
  
  
• Role playing at home. Preparing younger children for a flu vaccination can include practicing what it’s like to get a vaccine. Using a toy doctor’s kit, parents and caregivers can play-act what kids can expect from the vaccination process, from the alcohol sterilization to the injection and then putting on an adhesive bandage. Doing this may provide an opportunity to rehearse the process and ease anxieties over what may happen.
  
  

Managing Fear of Flu Shots During the Vaccination

During the vaccination itself, it’s important to keep this calm and supportive approach with children. Some tips you can use during the vaccination itself to keep your child feeling better about the experience include:

• Using a comfortable hold. Having a parent or caregiver embrace a child during a flu vaccination can safely keep their arms and legs steady as a vaccine is given. Kids can feel less overpowered and more nurtured for a less stressful experience. Holding your child in a comforting, secure way can vary according to age and where they receive their vaccine.
  
  Healthcare professionals who give the vaccine may have suggestions on the type of hold to use—or they may even prefer to have a child receive the vaccine on an exam table.
  
  
• Distracting from the vaccine. Keeping kids’ eyes focused on you, as you hold a smile on your face, can be helpful in keeping their attention away from the healthcare provider who is giving the vaccination, Thompson notes.
  
  For younger children, cuddling, singing or talking softly during vaccination can help make the injection go more smoothly. Guiding older children to look at different things in the room, or telling or reading stories, can help them in the moment. Older kids may also benefit from deep breathing, talking about something they enjoy, or counting down to the shot and coughing when the injection begins.
  
  
• Giving choices when possible. Kids feeling anxious about a flu vaccine might feel they’re being placed in a situation where they have no control. Giving them choices wherever possible—for example, in which arm they would like the shot or offering them a choice of adhesive bandage to cover the injection site—can help them feel they have some control in the vaccination process. Thompson notes that “we like to give older kids a choice” between sitting for a shot or lying down on a table.
  
  
• Getting other family members vaccinated at the same time. All people who are aged 6 months and older should get vaccinated for the flu, with rare exception. Depending on the size of your family and schedule, it may be easier to have the whole family vaccinated for the flu at the same time.
  
  If your family is vaccinated together, older kids who feel nervous about needles may feel more compelled to show a brave face if younger kids receive their flu shot first. Adult members could also go first to show kids that getting a flu shot isn’t so scary.
  
  

After the Flu Vaccine

Once the vaccine injection is over, it may feel like the task is complete and can be checked off your list for the year. However, there are some things you can do after the flu shot to make the entire experience a better one for all kids who get a flu shot—not just those who are scared of needles.

First, you should learn about the common mild side effects that some children feel soon after they have a flu shot. These may be listed in a Vaccine Information Sheet that you may have been given during the vaccination.

These side effects are normal, generally mild and typically go away within a few days. For example, some kids may have soreness, redness and/or swelling in the area where the vaccination was administered. Also, some may get a headache, develop a fever, feel nauseated or have muscle aches.

You can prepare for these mild side effects by taking a few steps, such as:

• Applying a cool, damp cloth on your child’s skin where the shot was given to reduce redness, soreness and/or swelling
• Giving your child a lukewarm water sponge bath, if they have a fever
• Giving your child liquids to drink frequently, as some children may eat less for a day after they get their flu shot
• Asking your child’s pediatrician about giving your kid a non-aspirin pain reliever if needed
• Keeping an eye on your child for a few days after they receive a flu shot. Call your child’s pediatrician if you observe anything that causes concern

Second, you should make sure to celebrate your child after the flu shot is over. Let them know what a great job they’ve done in getting their flu vaccine.

“We like to encourage kids in feeling good about it and say that this will help you stay healthy,” says Thompson.

Even if things didn’t go perfectly smoothly during the vaccination, having a small celebration for getting through the appointment can be a great routine to practice with vaccinations.

When setting up an appointment for a flu vaccine, think about adding on a little time for a celebration, once the vaccination is over. Giving kids a choice between several options of rewards—a special treat, extra stories at bedtime, or visiting a park on the way home for a little play time—can help create a sense of positivity and control in their situation.

Thinking through how the different aspects of flu vaccination can affect children with anxieties may take some time, but it can make an important difference in how children perceive flu vaccines—and future vaccinations in general. Finding ways to create a more positive experience around flu vaccination may make later vaccinations go more easily with children—and may also help them understand that they can learn to manage their emotions when faced with an event they fear.