Reduce vaccination pain

Vaccinations are a part of growing up, but they needn’t be upsetting to your child with good pain management.

From birth, babies are required to tolerate needles as part of their medical care. In particular, vaccine injections can cause pain, anxiety and fear in babies and children – and in their parents! This pain may lead to anxiety in the future, and even develop into needle phobias and avoidance of healthcare in some cases.^1,3

The magnitude of pain and distress with vaccination

By vaccinating your child, you become part of a global effort to rid the world of the devastating childhood diseases that were common in previous generations.²

While vaccinations are essential for children’s health, vaccine injections are considered to be one of the most common sources of pain in childhood, given that they are repeatedly administered to almost all children throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence.¹

Ways to manage vaccination pain

Managing vaccination pain aims to prevent children from developing a fear of needles as a result of unmitigated pain and distress during vaccinations.³

Over-the-counter pain medications

Over-the-counter or non-prescription pain medications, such as paracetamol, can be helpful in alleviating the pain and fever that may be associated with childhood vaccinations.⁴

Topical anaesthetics applied directly to the skin at the vaccination site can be used to reduce pain in vaccination injections as a standard measure for children. This type of anaesthetic is widely used in medical and surgical procedures as well as prior to vaccination to lessen needle pain. They cause superficial loss of pain sensation after direct application.^3,13

If you have any concerns about how much pain your child is in, contact your doctor straight away. Don’t give your child pain medications for longer than a couple of days without speaking to a doctor.⁴

Children need to take a lower dose than adults, depending on their age and sometimes, weight. Ask your doctor or a pharmacist for advice if your child is small or big for their age and you’re not sure how much to give. Follow the dosage instructions exactly according to the package insert; never exceed the dosage amount, nor the maximum amount to be given in 24 hours.⁴

Panado, which has paracetamol as its main ingredient, has a range of products specially formulated for children. Use the table below to choose an appropriate product for your child’s age.