How to prepare your child for injections

Vaccines play an important role in staying healthy. At Palisades Pharmacy, we can administer injections for children 2 years and older. We know both children and their caregivers worry about the process. Here are some tips, so parents and caregivers can lessen the worry or fear around getting an injection.

Children look to their parents to gauge how to behave. Be calm. Be kind but firm.

Try not to use scary words, like "hurt", "pain", "shot". Do not say things that may not be true, such as “The needle will not hurt”. Avoid apologizing as it sets a negative tone. Try your best to be factual and encouraging.

Here is an example of what you could say:

"You will get a medicine to keep you healthy. The medicine is called a vaccine. It goes in your arm by a needle. You might feel a pinch for a few seconds. Some kids do not like it, but we are going to help make it easier for you."

Preparing your child for an injection

What to do before your appointment

Avoid telling your child about the injection until you are ready to leave for the appointment. The longer a child has to think about the upcoming shot, anticipatory anxiety can develop.

Be honest with your child. Talk to them about what they will see, feel and hear. Keep reading to learn what to expect during the appointment.

Bring your child’s comfort item, such as a stuffed animal or blanket.

Bring a distraction for during the injection time. This could be a book to read or a video to watch on a mobile device.

Prepare a snack for after the injection is done.

Dress your child with a short sleeve shirt so that we can easily access the shoulder area during the appointment.

If you choose to use a numbing cream, it needs to be applied up to 1 hour before the injection. See below for additional instructions and a video demonstration.

What to do during your appointment

Bring your child’s Alberta Health Care card. During our intake, we will make sure your child’s file is up to date: address, phone number, and allergies. We will ask if your child is feeling well, had any injections in the past 4 weeks or is immunocompromised.

Once the intake is done, the pharmacist will draw up the injection. This should take 1-2 minutes before you will be called into our consultation room. Before entering the room, make sure you have removed any outerwear, sweaters or long sleeves.

In our consultation room, there are some alphabet and Pokémon stickers on the wall.

We have a selection of books to look over. We will have a selection of themed bandages for your child to choose from.

We will discuss the injection and answer any questions that you or your child may have. Your child can sit on your lap during the injection. We will show you have to gently hold your child. Let them know it is to give them extra comfort, but also that the injection will hurt more if they move during the process.

Once seated, we will use an alcohol swab to clean the deltoid. We draw a big circle around the injection site. We will remind them if they touch the injection site, then we will have to clean it again. We will keep the needle out of sight until the time of injection. Once the alcohol has dried, we can administer the injection. The pharmacist will have one hand on the arm to stabilize and keep the needle out of view. The injection lasts 1-2 seconds. We will put the chosen bandage on.

After the immunization, commend your child to give them confidence in their coping skills. Some examples are:

“You were so brave. I’m proud of you!”

“I am so happy you got the vaccine!”

“I knew you could do it!”

What do if you have more than one child getting vaccinated at the same time

If you make an appointment for more than one child at a time, consider having at least two parents or caregivers present. If one child is having anxiety about the injection, it can worry the other child. Ideally, one child can wait in the car while the other child receives the vaccine, we can avoid them panicking together.

References

https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/hp/cdc/if-hp-cdc-ipsm-tips-make-imm-easier-child.pdf

https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/ctc/if-ctc-vaccine-numbing-cream.pdf

Avoid telling children that they will not feel anything with the numbing cream. Children may still feel the sensation of the needle, but it may not be painful.

If you have any questions or concerns about how to apply the pain cream/patch or about your upcoming appointment with us, please call us at 780-406-0808 or send us an email at info@palisadespharmacy.ca.

It is also important to apply the cream to the correct location. If you lift a child’s arm, you will see a slight bulge where the deltoid muscle is located a few centimeters below where the shoulder bends. Apply a generous amount of cream to the whole muscle. View the video below for a quick tutorial!

Anesthetic creams, gels, or patches are medicines which numb the skin and dull the pain of injections. They can be purchased at a pharmacy without a prescription.

It is important to apply the anesthetic at the correct time. Depending on which product you use, the application time may differ. See the chart below for commonly used products. If you are unsure, please refer to the product instructions.

How to apply a numbing cream or patch on your child