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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Fear of the needle: Health expert underscores parents' role in educating kids on vaccines

Fear of the needle: Health expert underscores parents' role in educating kids on vaccines

Published Feb 8, 2022 01:23 pm

It's hard to remove one's innate fear of injections and it's something that became a regular occurrence especially with the presence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the need for two or more shots.

Kids waiting for their turn to get vaccinated at Ospital ng Muntinlupa on Feb. 7 (Muntinlupa PIO)

Pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Anna Ong-Lim said in a Department of Health (DOH) media forum on Tuesday, Feb. 8 that parents play an important role in educating their children on the importance of vaccines.

She mentioned that some people's fear of needles or injections is something that must be acknowledged because it's not easily dismissed. When asked if the government is taking enough measures to address this in relation to pediatric vaccinations, she said it's hard to say since it's something that cannot be easily eased with just a creative setup in vaccination centers.

Ong-Lim stressed the need to have the parents or the guardians help them prepare the kids so that when they arrive at the vaccination center their fear becomes more manageable. Also, the reason for being vaccinated is well-explained to them so that when they face a health worker, it's easier for them to understand what it's for.

She also reminded parents not to use doctors or injections as a way of scolding or reprimanding their kids when they are misbehaving.

"We really don't want to do that. Siyempre di natin maalis yung instances na kailangan talaga natin magpunta sa doktor at magpainiksyon kung naaksidente tayo, tayo'y nagkaroon ng animal bite (Of course we cannot avoid instances that we really need to go to the doctor to get injected when we get into an accident or when we get bitten by an animal)," she said,

She added that people shouldn't have to deal with that kind of fear which was ingrained in their minds as kids and that they never lost it even as they became adults. According to her, this actually impacts a person's health-seeking behavior.

"Marami tayong tao na nakikita na umiiwas sa pagbabakuna kahit yung adults...marami nagsasabi na ayoko magpabakuna kasi natatakot ako and imagine dala-dala nila yun mula pagkabata nila (We see a lot of people who avoid getting shots even adults...many of them say that they don't want to get vaccinated because they're scared and imagine they have that fear since they were kids)," she said.

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