#PINNED: Manage needle phobia for the COVID-19 vaccine

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With the Philippine population bordering 108 million, some Filipinos are hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to fear of the jab.

Trypanophobia, more popularly known as needle phobia, is the fear of injections or medical procedures using hypodermic needles. It can be a mild to moderate jitter or a full-blown phobia where a person delays or avoids getting medical care due to extreme anxiety of needles.

Fear is common among children but can prolong until maturity.

Thirty-year-old Marian, who requested anonymity, is among a few people with Trypanophobia. “To be honest po, gusto ko na rin talaga mabakunahan pero hesitant lang din ng konti kasi takot ako sa injection. (Kapag) ‘pag annual medical sa company na kailangan mag-extract ng blood, nahihiya ako kaya ‘di ako sumasabay sa may kakilala. Baka kasi mahimatay ako,” she said.

(Quote: To be honest, I really want to be vaccinated, but I am also a little hesitant because I'm afraid of the injection. During our company’s annual medical examination where I need to undergo blood extraction, I do not go with them because I am ashamed to pass out in front of my officemates.)

For Marian, a trending video showing a health worker injecting a needle into a person without pushing the plunger adds up to her worries. “Ang hirap pa ngayon kasi naglabasan ‘yung videos sa FB (Facebook) na hindi natuturok ‘yung vaccine kaya dapat daw tignan kung natuturok talaga. Eh hindi ko nga tinitignan ‘yung braso ko ‘pag iniineksyunan para ‘di ko masyadong isipin na iinjectionan ako,” Marian added.

(Quote: It’s more difficult for me now because some videos surfacing on FB show that the vaccine is not being injected, so patients should check and see if the vaccine is actually released from the syringe. In my case, I don't even look at my arm whenever I'm being injected to distract my mind from the jab.)

There are different approaches on how to get over needle phobia when getting the COVID-19 vaccine:

Seek professional help

Trypanophobia is complex, and its treatment can vary per person. To manage her fears, Marian is seeking professional help. The recommendations of her psychiatric-psychotherapy doctor are:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is a collaborative process where the patient works hand in hand with a medical professional to change her negative perception and behavior to improve the way she feels towards her anxieties.

• Anti-anxiety medications. Keep in mind that meds can only be administered with a prescription from a qualified physician.

Try these self-help steps

Aside from professional help, here are some tips you can do according to the NHS Foundation Trust, Anxiety UK, and The Needle Phobia Page:

• Address your worries. Leaving anxiety untreated may lead to an even more severe response over time. Acknowledging your fears is the first step to moving forward.

• Apply tension. This technique may help restore your normal blood pressure and reduce chances of fainting: (1) Hold the tension of the muscles in your arms, upper body, and legs for 10-15 seconds. (2) Return to a normal sitting position, then relax. (3) After 20-30 seconds, tense your muscles for 10-15 seconds and repeat the steps thrice a day for a week.

• Meditate. Look for relaxation techniques before your jab. Meditation and yoga can be helpful to calm your mind.

• Talk. Prior to the jab, you may talk to the healthcare worker assigned to you about your condition to help you deal with the situation accordingly.

• Distract. During the jab, look at your surroundings, imagine a comforting place to distract yourself at that moment, or bring a stress ball to help calm your senses.

• Breathing exercises. Another technique is to look for a comfortable spot to sit in with your back in an upright position, shoulders and jaw relaxed. Inhale, exhale, and focus on deep breathing.

• Support. Invite a family member or a friend to register with you for the vaccine (or a trusted officemate if it’s your company that’s conducting the registration). You may not be allowed to take the jab simultaneously, but a trusted companion can be your cheerleader.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III also encourages the public to ask the vaccinators to show the syringe to them, not during, but AFTER the inoculation.

The self-help tips will not heal Trypanophobia but may ease a worried mind to get through the jab with less anxiety or stress. Together, let’s try to overcome vaccine hesitancy caused by the fear of needles to reach the government’s target of inoculating 50 to 70 million Filipinos in 2021.

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Jeddah Legaspi is a communicator who loves to share the places, faces, and her learning experiences from grad school and life outside work. She is also a co-founder of ISDApp, a NASA-awarded app, and a marketing creative who uses the new media to bring valuable information to Filipinos.