Take the #KidVacs Pledge for National Immunization Awareness Month
| 2 min read
August is National Immunization Awareness Month and we’re asking you to make a pledge to learn more about the immunizations kids need to stay healthy for a chance to receive a #KidVacs kit containing a box of cartoon Band-Aids (think Dora, SpongeBob and Transformers!), suckers and an immunization reminder magnet to help make vaccines easier for your family.
We’re giving out five #KidVacs kits each weekday between 8/19 and 8/30. To make the pledge and have a chance to receive a kit:
1. Go to the Blue Care Network Immunization 101 Facebook app and sign up for free email vaccination reminders
2. Make your pledge to learn more about immunizations on Twitter using the hashtag #KidVacs
Once you’ve signed up for the email reminder and tweeted your pledge using #KidVacs, you’ll be entered in a random drawing for one of the #KidVacs kits. If you have questions about immunizations, check out our doctor’s answers to common vaccination questions.
And when it’s time to head to the doctor to get your children’s shots, try using these tips to make the experience easier for everyone:
- Give babies a pacifier dipped in sugar water just before the shot. In 13 of the 14 study trials, babies given a sugar based solution cried less both during and after getting the shot compared with babies who received either water or nothing. Lollipops work great for older kids!
- For older children, distraction works best by getting them to count, breathe deeply, or blow on a pinwheel during the shot.
- Apply topical anesthetics, like lidocaine, to numb the skin before heading to the doctor’s office.
- Talk about your own experience with shots and give your child a sense of relief that you understand why they are upset and that it will be alright.
Photo credits: Neighborhood Centers Inc.
