Reducing Pain During Vaccine Injections: Clinical Practice Guideline

"Pain from vaccine injections is common, and concerns about pain contribute to vaccine hesitancy across the lifespan.1,2 Noncompliance with vaccination compromises the individual and community benefits of immunization by contributing to outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases. Individuals may also engage in broader noncompliant behaviours if they acquire a fear of needles as a result of negative vaccination experiences.3 There are many evidence-based treatments to mitigate pain at the time of vaccination; however, most are not routinely used.4,5 An independent, cross-Canada multidisciplinary team, Help Eliminate Pain in Kids (HELPinKIDS), assembled in 2008 to tackle this gap in clinical care. In 2010, the HELPinKIDS team published the first clinical practice guideline on reducing pain during childhood vaccination.6 There are currently no guidelines on reducing pain during vaccination in adults". - Reducing Pain During Vaccine Injections: Clinical Practice Guideline