5 year old with fear of vaccinations

[RachelWatts]

DS1 is afraid of vaccinations. He's never been keen on them, but since a hospital stay where they put a cannula in his hand and hurt him, he's been terrified.

The last time DS2 had a vaccination, DS1 had a meltdown at the doctors. At the time I thought it was a tantrum, but now I think it was panic.

And today DS2 was watching Get Well Soon, and DS1 had to leave the room when Dr Ranj did a blood test on the puppet boy.

I think his fear is perfectly rational, given his experience in hospital, so I don't want to minimise it, but it's important to me and DH that both boys have their vaccinations.

Any ideas for how we can do future vaccinations without lasting trauma? Normal bribery techniques don't work, and while I'll pin him down if I have to, I'd rather not have to...

I don't want DS2 to become frightened too. He's 2.

I don't think he's due any until he's a teenager now.
Unless something comes up to require one.

He's probably asthmatic (it was a wheezing episode which he was in hospital for) so is eligible for the yearly flu vaccination. Although that's a nasal spray, we get the same panicked reaction.

Plus he cries and screams when DS2 has his vaccinations, which then makes DS2 upset. Doing DS2's vaccinations without him there isn't an option due to the timings of the clinic.

Anyone got any advice please?

While he may not need any vaccinations for a while, panic attacks when someone else has one and having to leave the room when a preschool programme shows a blood test in an age appropriate way is an overreaction.

My son has needle phobia also. When he had to have a vaccination it was a real worry. It depends how you want to play it. You could either go the route of "it won't hurt and will be over quickly" or you could throw everything at it (which is the route I went, but does kind of validate that it could be a problem…!

I bought EMLA cream from the pharmacy which completely numbs the area, and also bought a "buzzy" device on line. It is a frozen buzzing device that confuses the brain so you don't feel any pain. Probably completely over kill, but we got the injection in and job done for that time.!

i wouldnt worry too much about it and would pretty much ignore it. arrange for ds2 jabs when ds1 is not there or ask if he can sit outside/away from the jab. next jabs are in 6 months time for flu, which you could always miss for a year. if you dont seem to notice or react, then by the time he needs another injection it will be a long time in the future

After being born three months prem and having oh gosh maybe two dozen cannulas, blood tests, iv lines in her arms, legs, head during subsequent re admissions throughout her life, as well as six extra immunisations due to her vulnerable health, dd (3) is utterly beside her self in terror about injections. She shakes, shrieks and fights from the minute she can smell the alcohol wipe, let alone sees the needle. She too got hysterical at her brothers jags too. It's horrid isn't it. The way we got her preschool set in her was by explaining how important they are, admitting that yes they'd hurt but not for long, and some pining down :( along with massive bribery. It still took two goes as its two needles and she was so inconsolable after the first the hv reckoned she was traumatising the waiting room.

The winning ticket to get the final needle in a month later was a Princess Anna Frozen headband with plaits. God bless Disney. She still checks with me that she won't be having anymore injections, poor thing.

Thanks for the suggestions. Bribery doesn't seem to work on him - he's one of those children who can see through it!

I think I will just have to keep it low-key and not make a fuss, and pin him down if necessary.