Are Needles Keeping You from Getting Vaccinated?
Trypanophobia is the extreme fear of injections or hypodermic needles. While it tends to be more common in children, this fear can remain well into adulthood for some people. Around 20% of adults in the world share this fear, with 1 in 6 adults avoiding the flu vaccine due to this phobia. If needles are keeping you from getting vaccinated against COVID-19, good news is on the way!
Tips to Ease Needle Phobia:
- Think about the positive side of what you’ll gain.
- Fact check your fears.
- Learn what to expect at the vaccination site.
- Ask the nurse to use cold or vibration devices.
- Use distraction techniques such as listening to music, watching videos, or using a fidget spinner.
Nasal Spray, Patches, and More!
Most can agree that needles aren’t on many “favorite” lists. But forgoing a vaccine as crucial as the ones available against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic due to needle fear can have dire consequences. In the meantime, other ways of delivering the vaccination are being studied in clinical research studies. These include options such as nasal sprays and patches.
- Nasal– The patient is sat upright, and an applicator is inserted into the nostril. The applicator is pressed, depressing the vaccine into the nasal cavity.
- Patch– A potential band-aid size patch is applied to the skin with painless and dissolvable needles. The patch is left in place for a few minutes, then discarded.
Not only would this make it easier on individuals with a fear of needles, but these options would be less fragile. They wouldn’t have to be stored at specific temperatures or in glass vials. They would also be more child-friendly and wouldn’t require the same rigorous hygiene conditions as a needle (alcohol swabs, etc.). The best news is whether you are needle shy or not, you could help make these options a reality as a clinical research participant.
Wake Research is looking for people to test just a nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine. To learn more about how you can get involved, call us at (919) 781-2514 or visit our website today!
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