Help! I’m scared of needles and worried about my vaccinations!

Our immunisation nurses are very experienced and are used to meeting children with anxiety around vaccinations. Our team regularly administer vaccinations in schools to children of all age groups right through from reception to year 11. School is where you will routinely be offered to receive your vaccination. However, it is recognised that the school environment is not suitable for all children for a variety of different reasons.

Clinics

If you feel that you would struggle to have your vaccination in school due to your anxiety, please speak to your parent or guardian. We offer clinics that are run by our team that you and your grown up will be able to attend instead. These clinics often offer the opportunity to have 1:1 time with an immunisation nurse privately, where you can discuss your fears/worries.

Chaperones

Often these quieter environments along with the presence of a familiar adult with you, provide a more comforting environment for your vaccinations. If it helps, at some of our venues, we can arrange a meet up with one of our nurses for you to come and have a look around our clinic venue. This will enable you to familiarise yourself with the environment and ask any questions you may have.

If you would like to attend one of our clinics, please ask your parent or guardian to call us on 0300 247 0200.

Tip 1: Listen to music

Sometimes listening to your favourite music can be calming.

An alternative to music could also be listening to calming meditations.

Body Scan Meditation Example

Tip 2: Distraction and Calming Kit

Why not bring along a small box or collection of objects to help keep you calm.

It can be a simple box filled with sensory toys, fidgets, stress balls, colouring books or other calming items.

Tip 3: Breathing Techniques

Focusing on your breathing is always a useful way of helping to reducing your levels of anxiety.

Quite often when anxious we hold our breath or breathe too quickly, this can make us feel lightheaded which can then cause further anxiety and make us feel unwell.

Tip 4: Guided Imagery or Visualisation

Another technique that can help you when you are feeling nervous is guided imagery, also known as visualisation.

This involves imagining an image in your head of a happy place or memory, then naming all the things you can see.

Advice and Support

What can I do to help calm myself?

But I still feel nervous about having my vaccinations at school or a clinic
One way to reduce anxiety is to be prepared for what will happen on the day:
School staff will let you know what time you need to go for your vaccination and where you need to go
When you arrive, you will be asked to confirm your name and date of birth
The nurse will call you over, and invite you to sit down
The nurse will ask you to confirm some detail about yourself and your parent/carer and check they have consent to vaccination you
They will also ask you if you are well, and some health questions to make sure it is OK to vaccinate you
They will check that you know which vaccination you are having and why
Make sure you ask any questions, the nurse will answer any that you have
You will need to expose the top of your arm – either one is fine, you can choose if you like
If you are not able to do this because your shirt it too tight, talk to the nurse and they will make sure you have enough privacy
The nurse will talk to you about how she will vaccinate you and allow time for any more questions
When you are ready, you will be given the vaccination – it is really quick, and lots of people say they can hardly feel it
After the vaccination the nurse will document that she has given it on her iPad, and ask you to wait 10 minutes in the room
This is to make sure that you are fine after being vaccinated
You can then return to class
If you don’t feel quite right, you can let one of the team know and they will look after you

Other useful tips for preparing for you vaccination

Make sure you have had plenty to eat and drink before your appointment, this will help you to feel well before, during and after your appointment.
Come prepared for your vaccine by wearing short sleeves so the person vaccinating you has easy access to your upper arm
Bring support with you. Holding the hand or hearing the voice of a family member can help calm fears and anxiety.
Sit up straight, unless you have a history of fainting. This will help to give you a sense of control. If you feel faint or would like to lie down, let the nurse know and they may be able to find you somewhere to lie down.
Relax your arm and let it dangle beside you to help the muscle relax. This will help reduce needlestick pain and soreness after