July 22, 2025

The Parent’s Guide to Back to School Shots: How to Ease the Fear of Vaccinations (Even If Your Kid Is Scared of Needles) with Dr. Jody Thomas

27 minutes

Does your child melt down before shots? Do you feel that pang of dread when the school nurse mentions back to school shots? You are so not alone - and the good news is, it doesn’t have to be this way.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by world-renowned pediatric pain expert, and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Meg Foundation, Dr. Jody Thomas to tackle a surprisingly common parenting challenge: managing your child’s fear of vaccinations and anxiety around back to school shots. If your child is scared of needles - or you are - this conversation will change the way you approach doctor’s visits forever.

Dr. Thomas brings decades of experience and actionable solutions that actually work. We talk about how to reduce fear of vaccinations, empower your child, and avoid trauma - while still getting those important vaccines. You’ll walk away with research-backed strategies that will help you confidently navigate how to make shots not hurt at all (yes, really!).

In this episode, we cover:

Why the fear of vaccinations affects more kids (and adults!) than you think - and how it can shape lifelong healthcare decisions
The real science behind how to make shots not hurt at all, and the tools you can use at your next visit
What to do instead of holding your child down - because there’s a better way to handle back to school shots
How your child’s emotions mirror yours - and how to model calm even if you’re scared of needles yourself
The 3-step comfort plan to reduce anxiety, lower pain, and leave your child feeling proud and empowered during back to school shots

Listen now to learn exactly how to stop the struggle and fear of vaccinations for back to school shots - and what every parent needs to know about the long-term impact of ignoring pain and anxiety.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Buzzy®

ShotBlocker®

LET'S CONNECT:

Thriving Child Center

PCIT Experts

Instagram

Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways - delivered straight to your inbox every week.

Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!

CONNECT WITH DR. JODY THOMAS & MEG FOUNDATION FOR PAIN:

Dr. Jody Thomas Website

Meg Foundation Website

FB: @megfoundationforpain

IG: @megfoundationforpain

TikTok: @megfoundation

LinkedIn: @meg-foundation

...more

View all episodes

By Dr. Leah Clionsky

4343 ratings