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A Kid's Guide to Shots
You'd probably rather do a million other things than go to the doctor and get a shot. Not only can it hurt, but it can be kind of weird to think that someone is going to stick you with a needle. Not fun, right?
But before you try to get out of going to the doctor, remember that shots are important. You receive shots called vaccinations (say: vak-suh-nay-shuns) to protect you from some pretty serious diseases. Besides, that pain and soreness in your arm isn't going to last forever!
What's in Shots, Anyway?
Shots protect you by giving only a tiny piece of a disease-causing germ, or by giving you a version of the germ that is dead or very weak. Giving a whole germ that's alive would give you a disease (like measles or chicken pox).
But giving only this tiny, weakened, or dead part of the germ does not give you the disease. Instead, just the opposite happens. Your body ends up being protected from the disease by becoming immune (say: im-myune).
When you're immune, part of your body's defense system - called antibodies - will fight off certain diseases. So after you get a shot, you become immune to that particular disease because you now have antibodies that will keep you from getting that disease if you are ever exposed to it again.
Kids get their first shots soon after they're born and then regularly until about age 2. The next time you get shots is before you start kindergarten at around age 4 or 5.
Most shots are given by injection with a needle. Shots are usually given in your arm or sometimes your thigh. Doctors look for a part of your body that's fleshy enough so it won't hurt too much.
Why Do Kids Need Shots?
Kids need shots because they can get serious diseases from infections that make them very sick, and the shots protect a person from getting those diseases. Because most kids get all their shots, you rarely meet anyone who has had diseases like measles, mumps, or polio. These are diseases that used to make many people very sick.
Today, some diseases no longer exist just because everyone got their shots!
Kids in the United States today get shots for about nine different diseases before they start school. There are other shots - like the ones for chicken pox, flu, and pneumonia - that are also given to keep kids from getting sick.
Most schools and camps require that kids have their shots so that diseases don't spread from kid to kid. So, if you really want to go to that summer camp this year, it will be important that you are up to date on your shots.
The good thing about shots is that you get fewer and fewer of them as you get older. Because your immunity (say: im-myoo-nuh-tee), meaning your body's protection against certain diseases, is lifelong in most cases, you won't need to keep getting so many shots to protect you from bad things like measles and mumps. You got most of your shots when you were a baby and, chances are, you don't even remember most of them.
But when you're older, some shots - like tetanus shots - will have to be given every 10 years, so that you will continue to be protected. Tetanus protects you from getting a serious illness (sometimes called "lockjaw") if you step on a rusty nail or cut yourself on an old broken window, for example.
My Aching Arm!
Aarrrrgghhh! Wow, that hurt. Getting a shot really can be a pain. There are things you can do, though, to make it easier.
You might want to bring a favorite toy with you to the doctor's office or maybe a magazine that you can look at when they actually give you the shot. You might even want to ask if you can wear your headphones and listen to your favorite song.
Sometimes, if you can take your mind off the shot, it won't bother you as much. One favorite technique is to just look away when they're giving you the shot. Another is to tightly squeeze your parent's hand.
When it's over, you won't have to worry about it anymore. And it's only a few seconds of pain - hey, that's a million times better than having a very serious illness, isn't it?
Sure Enough, Your Shot's Over
After you get a shot, your arm might hurt a little. It might feel sore or feel warm.
The place where you got the shot might be red, and there might be a hard bump there for a few days. You also might feel kind of hot, like you have a fever.
You can try holding ice, wrapped in a towel, on the place where you got the shot. Or, if that doesn't help, try a washcloth soaked in warm water. You can also ask your parents to give you a pain reliever like acetaminophen if you're really uncomfortable.
But you'll feel better soon. Millions of kids get shots and very few of them ever have any problem. Most of the time, you can do whatever you'd like right after you get a shot.
"[Getting shots] usually doesn't interfere with a person doing what they want to do," says Dr. Lewis Polk, a doctor for kids in Pennsylvania. So let the doctor give you their best shot. It's a small price to pay to keep you from getting sick! | 
