Immunization Fears

I read Elmo Goes to the Dr. REad it several times including the night before and suddenly he was OK getting shots

how old is your daughter? i have always been honest with my kiddos about vaccinations - we talk about why we get them, what could happen if we didn't - what would happen if we got those scary diseases, and how many shots they'd have to get and how horrible they'd feel if they actually got the disease. they don't "like" to get shots, but they do understand that it's for their own good in the long run, and at the end of the day, they know they're not getting out of something that their father and i feel is in their best interest. i don't believe in bribing, but i will reward their good behavior after the fact. be up front with her - but i wouldn't beg/plead or feel guilty about it. if she's over the age of 4, she's old enough to understand that she's going to get/not get a shot - and how she chooses to act is up to her, but it's not going to change the outcome :) good luck!

I would talk to her and be honest with her. What are her fears? Does she not like the needle? Neither do I. I don't look. Would she like to take a bear or doll to hug? Would it help to pre-dose her with Tylenol? Let her talk about her concerns and fears and work on some way to get past it. Praise her for being brave.

I think she should at least know at the time of the visit that shots are needed and work through your plan to help (bear hugs, tylenol, etc.)

Maybe verify your own shots and see if you need boosters. Let your child see you be brave or have her hold YOUR hand while you get your shot. I had to get a booster with my little one in tow the same day she needed one and I asked her to hold my hand and I thanked her hugely for being my buddy. It seemed to help.

How old is your child?

My son was like that.
I told him "I don't know if you get shots today...."

Bring a whistle to the appointment.
If a shot is given.... tell the Nurse to count to three.... on 3, have your child BLOW on the whistle as hard as she can and as long as she can.
Before you know it, the shot will be over.
Blowing on the whistle will distract her from the "pain" and the shot.

Talking honestly is all you can do. If they're going to freak out, they're going to freak out. When my oldest was younger, my pediatrician's office KNEW the child was a handful and that no discipline from me, stickers, books about visiting the doctor, why germs are bad, or the promise of candy and treats could change that. And after one really, really bad visit, they learned to prepare especially for our arrival.

They jokingly called him the "Matrix" because once, when he was about 3 or 4, like Keanu Reeves, he managed to levitate, kick, karate chop, flip, flop and wedge himself between furniture to scale the walls so they could not grab him. He even ran through the waiting room to get away from them! And man, could that kid scream.

By the time they got him back to the exam room, all of the children in the waiting room were crying, shaking and cowering. The nurses couldn't get any child that witnessed the madness to take a vaccination without a fight. In neighboring exam rooms, screams and wails prevailed. It was terrible.

Anyway, as I said, for subsequent shots, three nurses held him. One seated him on her lap and the other two held his arms and legs, and a fourth nurse gave him the shots.

Talk about traumatizing for everyone. But the gals were so good at it, once they had a plan, they moved like lightening and before he could get his bearings, it was over.

I'm certain all pediatric nurses are well trained for this sort of stuff. I say call ahead and talk to them, if they haven't already taken matters into their own hands like the nurses at my clinic. I'm certain they'll work something out that will be agreeable and safe for everyone involved.

By the way, that child is much older and has no issues with shots. Takes em like a trooper and loves the pediatrician and thinks the nurses are cool. Go figure.

For a few years now (since he was old enough to ask, he's 8) when my son asks if he's getting shots this year, I always reply "Hmmmm....not sure if you get shots at the 6 yr....7 yr....." Then if he does get them, he hasn't agonized over it, and he is generally a trooper for the nurse. Win-win.

I tell my son that the doctor is going to check him to make sure he's healthy, give him a couple of quick shots, and then we'll be done and go to the park. He only cried for a second at his last appointment after the nurse gave him his shot. I think telling him what's going to happen (without too much detail) is better than flat out surprising him.

I took the kids to the county health department for their shots. That way they didn't associate their pediatrician with the shots.

Good for you to get their shots. So many make it almost a crime for us to protect our children for preventable diseases. It makes me sad for those kids to possibly have to suffer through Polio or some other disease that will alter their bodies and possibly end their lives. I think the additives and other things people routinely put in their kids bodies do much more damage to them than a simple vaccine.

I've found that honesty is the best policy. We should always tell our children the truth if we expect the truth from them.

I agree with Jennifer T. Explain what those immunizations are for. Show her that while it is a small poke, it's very quick. Even if you arrange with the nurse to get you a flu shot while you're there so you can prove it isn't a big deal.

We're always honest about it. I tell her if she is due to get shots. She will usually fuss a little and say that she doesn't like them, but I tell her that they help to keep her from getting very sick and that she has to have them. She is 5 1/2 now. At her 3 year old check up, I was holding her 6 month old brother in one arm and trying to hold her hands in the other and when the nurse gave her the shot, she ripped her hand free and shoved the needle out of her leg. She got a scratch from the needle and some of the medicine from the shot flew across the room. I was MORTIFIED! After that, I have been sure to hold her a bit tighter. Today I had to take her in because her ears and throat hurt and she has been running a fever and they pricked her finger to do bloodwork. You would have thought they were cutting it off with the rucus she put up. I finally had to tell her that she was completely overreacting and she calmed down. She will get better about it. I got ear infections a lot as a kid and I remember fighting the nurses to get a shot in the rear (which happened often because the infections were so intense). So, I suppose it can last awhile, but at some point, you just have to lay down the law, like Catherine C said, and not allow that behavior. Just always remind her that it only hurts for a second and then she will be fine. Keep offering a reward after and just try to alleviate her fears as much as possible. Talk about it afterwards and point out that the pain was just momentary. She'll catch on!

There is really nothing you can do except be honest and try and help her through her anxiety. Tell her that you don't like shots either and this is what mommy does to help....then tell her you close your eyes and turn your head and sing a song or something like that. I like the poster who recommended a bear to hug or something comforting to have with her.

I disagree however that you have a "major discipline issue" at this point. You've given nobody any indication that your child is a discipline problem other than she cries and fights getting a shot.......who does like getting a shot! Don't beat yourself up and remember you are doing it for her own good.

Great suggestions so far.
But, are the nurses doing something to scare her? Our doctor and her nurses were great in the way they handled shots, so my sons were never scared. But she went off our ins for a while. I went to another pediatrician. The nurses came in not saying a word. One of them laid down across my son and the other gave the shot. They really scared him. Needless to say, we never went back there. (the doc was just as bad!)

I see in your profile that your daughter is almost 6. Tell her she is too old to be fighting the nurses, because that is the truth. It is only a moment of pain, and it will prevent a lifetime of nasty diseases. Has she seen pictures of the diseases she's being immunized against? This was pretty effective with my daughters when they were younger. I found pictures of people who had measles, mumps, polio (smallpox is a great one although technically she isn't going to be immunized for that). Anyhow, you can point out to her that either she sucks it up and deals with 5 seconds of mild pain, or she can die of some awful disease - and that dying of an awful disease is not a choice she is allowed to make. Discussion closed.

My younger daughter is 6, and doesn't enjoy shots AT ALL but she knows I will not put up with any antics on her part any longer. When she was 4, she screamed and yelled and cried so loud that people came RUNNING from other parts of the medical building to see what in the world was wrong. After that, I laid down the law and told her she can be as bummed out as she wants (quietly), but any screaming (which, let's be honest, is a completely ridiculous reaction to a shot) would be severely punished. She no longer makes any kind of fuss, and after her last set of shots, she turned to me and said, "Actually, that wasn't bad." I think sometimes you just have to pull them out of their downward spiral of fear and make them snap out of it. ;)

I may get reamed for this, but you might want to look into doing only ones that, after much research, you find absolutely necessary. For me and many friends it was just hib and DT (no aP). There's some bad information about there about why and why not to do it, I got my favorite detailed information from www.thedoctorwithin.com, his book is called the Sanctity of Human Blood. Really goes into detail about each shot, ingredients, the diseases and treatment, etc...just something to consider.

In our state, you can sign a philosophical exemption for schools, the doctor has to sign it to say they told you about the risks and benefits of doing the shots, but you don't have to have or be up to date on every single one with this exemption. You can delay the schedule as well, which many people who believe they are all important to have do. Dr. Sears' vaccine book has good information on an alternative schedule as well.

When I was in school for my paramedic training. They told us to never lie to a child cause they will never trust any one in the hospital or police, fire or EMS again. So my sugestion is be truthfull. Tell her if she is going to get shots. Tell her it is to keep her from getting sick and having to get even more shots. Sometimes we all have to get them. If we are well they keep us from getting sick. Sometimes when you get sick you need shots to get well.Tell her you know they hurt. When she gets her shot talk to her about her friends, school or somethig she likes. If she is getting a shot in her arm have her wiggle her fingers(just the fingers) It will help her keep from tensing up when the needle goes in or wiggle toes if it is in her rear end. Not saying you would do this but never threaten a child with a shot for not behaving in the doctor. Should the ever become ill they will assume they were bad.