Hi parents! Tracker here, back, and ready to help you talk to your kiddos about vaccines! We know that vaccines are an important part of staying healthy, especially when kids are in school. It helps them reduce their risk of contracting illness but also reduce severity of illness. But kids, especially younger ones, tend to be afraid of the process as needles can definitely be scary initially! In this video, they talk about the CARD system. CARD stands for Comfort, Ask, Relaxation and Distract, and is backed by evidence! Use this system, and the examples in the following image, to help your kids while they get their vaccines!
Other ways helpful tips to know:
Get as much information as possible! That way when your kids ask you questions, you are prepared and appear relaxed.
Speaking of, staying calm is super important! If you seem nervous, it may rub off on your kids!
Normalize it as part of your routine for the day. “Today we’re going to go to the grocery store, stop by the pharmacy to get our flu shots, and then we can get some ice cream after!”
Explain the process and importance of vaccines in a way they can understand: “It’s just going to be a quick pinch! And then they give you a sticker!”, “This shot is important because it will keep you healthy, so you don’t get sick! That way you can go to school and visit grandma!”
If you need any more help, check out my next post where I explain to kids what it’s like getting a vaccine and tell them about my own experience!
Sources: Taddio A, Ilersich A, McMurtry CM, Bucci LM, MacDonald NE. Managing pain and fear: Playing your CARDs to improve the vaccination experience. Can Commun Dis Rep. 2021 Jan 29;47(1):87-91. doi: 10.14745/ccdr.v47i01a12. PMID: 33679251; PMCID: PMC7920573.
University of Toronto. (2021). ‘How to Talk to Your Kids about Vaccines’. Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy. Lawerence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WV8G86t_i0
Wilson, J. Lawrence S. (2021). “How to talk to your children about getting their vaccine - an expert explains”. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing. University of Toronto. Retrieved from https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/how-talk-your-children-about-getting-their-vaccine-expert-explains
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