As the world stares down another seasonal “tripledemic,” health experts are calling on everyone who’s eligible to get vaccinated for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.
The problem is, a fear of needles keeps many people — even doctors and other healthcare workers — away from vaccines and essential health services.
About 27% of hospital employees, 18% of workers at long-term care facilities and 8% of health care workers at hospitals avoid vaccines because of needle fears, according to a 2018 study.
“It doesn’t surprise me that it impacts everyone,” Dr. Thea Gallagher, clinical psychologist and associate professor at NYU Langone Health, told The Post.
“It just goes to show that anxiety and phobias can impact everyone,” Gallagher added.
Indeed, among the general public, about one in every four adults and two of every three children have a fear of needles, whether to draw blood, deliver a vaccine or other health procedures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And about 16% of people who refuse to get essential vaccinations do so because of needle fear.
Needle phobia — known as trypanophobia — is especially disturbing when it occurs among the healthcare professionals delivering the shots.
A 2023 survey revealed that 31% of medical students are afflicted with trypanophobia. And some of them must be ashamed about it because the same survey also showed that over 56% thought such a fear should not be seen by healthcare students.
That, too, comes as no surprise to Gallagher: “When you have a phobia, it’s hard to do the things that your values are aligned with,” she said. “It might be extra embarrassing for health care providers.”
In severe cases of needle panic, even the sight of a vaccine needle can cause a crippling panic attack, nausea, vomiting or fainting.
The issue of needle phobia hasn’t been well studied, but it seems to be related to a negative personal history with needles, or other concerns like hypochondria or anxiety disorders. It can also run in families, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Additionally, it may be related to a basic animal instinct that objects to having a sharp object jabbed into your flesh. “There’s probably some evolutionary biology that plays into this,” said Gallagher, noting that our “lizard brain” may be activated at the thought of a needle.
Parents trying to convince a child to sit still for a needle injection are familiar with the problem: “Kids have a pretty strong disgust response,” she said. “And the more we explain, the more activated they get.”
And few, if any, healthcare workers have a lot of time in a busy doctor’s office or hospital to address fears over needles — but there are ways for adults as well as children to handle the situation.
With children who are anxious about a shot, “associate it with something positive” like getting some ice cream afterward, Gallagher suggests, adding that lengthy speeches aren’t often helpful: “Less talking, more doing,” she advises.
There are also pain relief sprays and numbing ointments that can take the sting away from a needle jab.
For adults, “I really encourage people to take a support person,” Gallagher said. And if “the setting can be overwhelming or overstimulating” for some people, vaccinations at home or in the car of a drive-through clinic may be an option.
“You might need to get a professional involved if it’s starting to impact your everyday health,” Gallagher explained, noting that treatments for needle fear are often successful.
“Fear is really powerful,” she added, but the discomfort and anxiety of a needle jab goes away quickly. “All problems are perishable.”