Needle-phobic people scarred by so many photos of COVID shots

Each day it's the same. Story after story in the newspaper or on TV about the COVID vaccination effort, and most of them are illustrated with pictures of needles sinking into arms.

Could those visuals, ostensibly making this all seem routine, backfire?

More than causing squeamish people to look away or change the channel, researchers say such illustrations could hamper efforts to get a broad swath of people vaccinated.

Bottom line: Many people are afraid of needles, and seeing so many pictures of them in use doesn't alleviate that.

"Fear of needles was one of the barriers that was a significant predictor of people saying, 'I don't think I will get this vaccine,' " said Jeanine Guidry, an assistant professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who conducted a survey of 500 people in July.

Efforts to encourage vaccination might have inadvertently sparked fear by showing exaggeratedly large syringes, Guidry said.

"I can't fathom what that would do to someone who has a needle phobia," she said.

Even attempts to reassure people by showing leaders such as Dr. Anthony Fauci or the president and vice president getting their COVID vaccinations can be triggering, said Hillel Hoffmann, an independent communications consultant in Philadelphia.

"I know those pictures are supposed to psych me up for the fact that the vaccine is safe and available, and I'm not worried at all about the vaccines' safety," said Hoffmann. "But what I can't take because of my fear of needles is looking at a picture of someone with a small-bore needle buried in their deltoid muscle."

An extreme fear of needles or medical procedures involving injections is technically called trypanophobia, said Jeffrey Geller, president of the American Psychiatric Association.

"Some people avoid needles because of fear of pain, some from fear of fainting," he said. "And some people do faint."

Here are some ways to cope with the fear:

Be positive about the reasons you are getting the vaccine and remember that the pain will be short-lived, like a stubbed toe, said Thea Gallagher, director of the clinic at the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety at the University of Pennsylvania.

Practice deep breathing or other techniques to help stay calm at the site. Eat something and drink water beforehand; it reduces the chance of fainting. And you can request being inoculated in a reclined position.

Tell your vaccinator of your concerns. Health care providers are used to dealing with people who don't like needles.

If your fear is intense, seek professional help. A therapist can use cognitive-behavioral techniques or exposure therapy to help, Geller said.