The sight of these syringes filled with the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine might be scary to those with needle phobia, but there are methods to help manage the fear. — TNS
While most of us don’t love needles, it’s estimated that at least 10% of the population has a needle phobia that prevents them from seeking out essential medical care.
It’s a concern for health experts, looking out for both the health of their patients and the future of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“From a public health standpoint, we don’t have a good number on how many adults are delaying or refusing the vaccine based on blood-injection-injury phobia, but it could be as high as 10%, and 10-ish percent is going to keep us from achieving herd immunity,” says Dr Katherine K. Dahlsgaard, a licensed psychologist board certified in behavioural and cognitive psychology.