Considering Needle Phobia among Adult Patients During Mass COVID-19 Vaccinations

• Published in: Journal of primary care & community health Vol. 12; p. 21501327211007393
• Main Authors: Love, Ashley S., Love, Robert J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 2021; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Commentaries; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines; Fear; Fear & phobias; Health care; Help seeking behavior; Herd immunity; Humans; Immunity; Immunization; Implosive Therapy; Medical personnel; Needles; Pandemics; Phobic Disorders; SARS-CoV-2; Telemedicine; Vaccination - psychology; COVID-19; herd immunity; needle fear; telemedicine; needle phobia; education; vaccinations; blood-injection-injury; pandemic
• ISSN: 2150-1319; 2150-1327
• DOI: 10.1177/21501327211007393

As mass vaccination is underway to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve herd immunity, healthcare professionals need to recognize the fear and phobia of needles among their patients. Approximately 11.5 to 66 million U.S. adults may suffer from this condition. This population often avoids seeking medical care including vaccinations. The exact number of people suffering from this phobia is unknown, and the potential years of life lost in the American health care system cannot be estimated accurately. The resistance to vaccinations among this population may delay achieving herd immunity to end this current pandemic. An overview of needle phobia, vaccinations, and current treatments are explored. The use of telemedicine could prove critical for reaching this population as well as those who are hesitant about vaccinations. Providing education to healthcare providers to identify and manage these patients during the pandemic is necessary.