ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — We know we need them, but no one looks forward to the sting from a vaccine injection. But for some, the fear becomes so great, it prevents them from getting the shot. Estimates show that two in three children have serious anxiety about needles. That’s why Stanford Children’s Health has devised a way to get their mind off that shot with what else … a video game.
Elizabeth Collins has not been looking forward to this day. The typically outgoing nine-year-old Taylor Swift fan is scheduled to receive her annual flu shot.
Elizabeth says, “I’m really nervous whenever I get a shot.”
Clay Collins, Elizabeth’s dad says, “For my daughter, it’s typically been a very stressful situation for her and frankly a stressful situation for us as well.”
Elizabeth isn’t alone in her fear of needles – according to the CDC, as many as one in 10 may delay getting a vaccine due to their phobia.
“Sometimes you can’t even get the kids out of the car if they know they’re going to the hospital for a shot.” Explains Sam Rodriguez, MD, Co-Director Stanford Chariot Program at Stanford Children’s Health
That’s why Doctor Sam Rodriguez and his team recently implemented a video game that eases the stress of getting a shot.
“Our group, the Stanford Chariot Program, has a specialty in finding technology-based solutions to clinical problems. So, we work with software developers. We test it on our own kids, on patients in the hospital and get feedback from them to develop the best product for kids.”
That effort resulted in Pinataz – a game in which kids custom design a pinata and then try to collect the prize inside. The goal is for the patients to be so distracted by the game, they don’t notice the needle … and it works!
Elizabeth says, “It’s less stressful because your eyes are on the game, you’re, like, not thinking about the shot.”
Everything about the game, from its length to the graphics and music, were all carefully designed to absorb the patient.
Clay says, “She was really unaware of anything else happening around her because she was so focused on the game.
“The entire process is so much easier.” States Clay.
The initial roll out of the Pinataz video game has been within the Stanford Health Care system. However, plans are underway for it to be used in other hospitals across the country, and even internationally.
VIDEO GAME EASES VACCINE ANXIETY IN YOUNG KIDS
REPORT #3154
BACKGROUND: Vaccines work with the body’s natural defenses by helping the immune system respond and reduce your risk of getting a disease. Today, there are vaccines to prevent more than 20 life-threatening diseases, allowing people to live healthier, longer lives. Every year Immunizations prevent 3.5 to 5 million deaths from diseases like influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, and measles. Immunization is an important component of primary health care. Vaccines are essential in the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks.
(Source: https://www.who.int/health-topics/vaccines-and-immunization#tab=tab_1)
VACCINATION PHOBIA IN KIDS: A common fear in children is getting a shot at the doctor’s office. While some children may not remember any previous experiences with needles, others may associate the procedure as a painful and scary process. For children, adolescents, and even adults, this fear can become a significant phobia, resulting in fear, severe anxiety, and inability to sit still. Attempts to give the immunization may result in crying, screaming, and running away, causing both the child and parent distress. Often there are simple measures to make the process easier that parents can take to prepare or distract the child. It’s recommended that children and adolescents with anxiety, intellectual disabilities, and needle phobia avoid getting vaccines at larger scale, loud and busy places that can make the process more difficult and increase a child’s distress. Instead consider visiting a smaller setting, such as a general practitioner’s clinic.
USING VIRTUAL REALITY DURING VACCINATIONS: There is a growing movement in standard care to include distraction activities for children experiencing vaccinations and other procedures involving needles. Distraction techniques use strategic efforts to distract an individual’s attention away from the negative stimuli of a healthcare procedure to a more neutral stimulus. Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs) are members of the healthcare team who have the expertise, training, and time to support children during procedures by offering distraction activities as an intervention. Examples of distraction techniques can range from playing a game on a computer tablet, watching a moving, listening to music, or engaging in a virtual reality (VR) game. Distraction techniques offered by CCLSs have been found to decrease pain and distress for children experiencing healthcare procedures. Studies find that children who participated in VR distraction showed significantly less distress and fear compared to the children who did not receive VR distraction. In fact, children who received VR distraction by a child life specialist reported less pain and displayed fewer pain behaviors during a vaccination.
* For More Information, Contact: Elizabeth Valente-Pigato
EValentePigato@StanfordChildrens.org
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Contributors to this news report include: Jennifer Winter, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor. Joe Alexander-Short, Videographer.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/needle-fears-and-phobia.html
https://www.immunize.org/wp-content/uploads/catg.d/p4271a.pdf
