Pain expert shares advice for dealing with needle fear before your COVID-19 vaccine turn comes

If you have a fear of needles, you are far from alone. But no matter what your age, there are things you can do to get past that fear and get the health care you need including the COVID-19 vaccine when your turn comes.

"Needle fear is a lot more common than people think," Katie Birnie, a clinical psychologist at University of Calgary who researches pain management, told Island Morning host Mitch Cormier.

"It's actually about 20 to 30 per cent of adults that have a high level of needle fear, and it can be up to 60 per cent of kids."

That fear can range from considering vaccinationan uncomfortable experience to having a level of fear that prompts people to risk their health by avoiding needles altogether.

"We know that 10 per cent of people avoid vaccines because of how significant their needle fears are," said Birnie.

These fears tend to start in childhood and can be linked to a bad experience or even merely hearing about other people's fears.

Dealing with that fear is important during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as vaccination programs begin. Fortunately, Birnie said, strategies for dealing with needle fear can work for any age group.

• Viewing images of people calmly receiving injections can help people deal with their fears, she said.
• Distraction is a key tool too, she said, both before and while getting the needle. "Looking at your phone, watching a video, listening to music, having a conversation, anything that's distracting your mind," she said.
• Numbing creams are available at pharmacies that will help you avoid feeling the prick of the needle going in.
• Be sure to sit in a relaxed position while receiving the needle rather than tensing up.
• For children, having them sit on your lap can be comforting.

Confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine is an important public health issue around the world right now, said Birnie, and that includes boosting your personal confidence about getting a needle.

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