It’s that time again, time for all of us to get our flu shot! Yep all of us over six months of age. Infants, toddlers, school kids, parents uncles and aunts, and especially grandparents. And that includes aids, nurses, desk workers, lab and x-ray techs, doctors, teachers, school janitors, secretaries, and everyone who will see another human being between now and spring.
No, you can’t get the flu from the vaccine! No, the shot does not hurt! Let me tell you about one 11 year old kid who had such a terrible fit when he got his shot that it took three nurses and two doctors to hold him down. He was not a patient of mine and did not get his care in our office. His family were friends of ours and they told me of the embarrassment they experienced every time he had to get any kind of shot. I asked them to let me take him to his doctor next year, they could stay home. When the time came his parents called their doctors’ office and told them I would bring him and his sister in for flu shots. I picked them up shortly after lunch and drove the to the clinic. On the way his sister said, “Joey is going to scream and cry! I feel sorry for the nurses who have to hold him down. Get ready to hold your ears!”
“No, Vickie, he is not going to scream.” I replied without emotion. Joe knows flu shots don’t hurt and he also knows crying and screaming won’t do anything but make it hurt. Isn’t that right, Joe?”
“Un-huh.” He answered not at all confident.
I repeated, “Flu shots don’t hurt as long as you sit very still. It’s getting a shot while your jumping all around that causes pain,” and changed the subject.
We talked casually the rest of the drive; arrived, and checked in with the receptionist. I gave her the consent form the kids’ dad had signed. Before we sat down Joe and I found magazines to read. Vickie had brought a book. The nurse, who just happened to be a man over 6 feet, 6 inches tall and at least 280 pounds, soon popped in to the waiting room and asked, “Who wants to go first?”
Vickie jumped up, “I’ll go first! I’m not ready to hear Joey scream.”
“Don’t worry, Vickie, He’s not going to scream! He’s going to go first.”
We entered the exam room, Mr. Nurse asked Joe to climb up on the table. “Relax your arm and just let it hang at your side,” he said. He swabbed Joe’s arm with alcohol, dried it with cotton and said, “Now look at the corner, over there.” Pointing, he plunged the needle into Joe’s arm and said, “Good, Joe. Would you like a band-aid?” Joe looked up at me and asked nervously, “When is he going to give it?”
“Already did!” Nurse and I answered together.
“Really?” Joe asked with surprise and happiness on his face. “I didn’t feel a thing.” He looked at his arm as Nurse was applying the band aid, and smiled.
As we were returning to the waiting room Mr. Nurse whispered to me, “I was dreading this, I had to get ten men to help me with him last year!”
When Vickie caught site of us entering the room she asked, “Did you decide to let me go first?”
“No, It didn’t hurt a bit.” Joe answered.
Joe has had several flu shots and all of his adolescent shots since then, and has never resisted or shed a tear.
Which tells me what every parent and other adult in authority must believe You get what you expect. Expect great things from your kids, let them know what you expect and unless you are asking them to do the really impossible, you will not be disappointed.
One more thing. The AAP recommends kids age 2- 8 receive the nasal spray, FluMist Quadrivalent not because it is not a shot, but because it works better in this age group.
Stay healthy!