COLUMBIA, S.C. — DHEC officials say over 7,000 kids ages 5-11 have gotten their first COVID-19 shot in South Carolina since the doses became available at the beginning of November.
However, taking a young child to get a vaccine isn’t always an easy task.
Local experts told News19 it's common for kids to be scared of shots.
For mother Lindsay Thompson, getting her daughter Reagan out the door Thursday to get the vaccine at Brookland Baptist Church was a little tough.
“He was easy," Thompson said referring to her 9-year-old son, Ethan. "My daughter is a little bit more nervous about getting shots and she was not real excited about coming today.”
Thompson said Ethan was excited to finally get some protection against the virus, but Reagan was more hesitant.
"He hasn’t really had a fear but she’s kicked a nurse before when she was younger so she’s had a harder time accepting the vaccines," explained Thompson.
So, like many parents, Thompson struck a deal with her two little ones:
"They went to the store right before this and picked something out,” the mom of two said.
And experts says rewards can be a great way to help get kids excited to roll up their sleeves.
"We provide prizes at our hospital," said Child Life Specialist Jordan Hall. "I think it's important to know this isn’t a choice, we're doing it to help your body, but then giving them an appropriate choice afterward.”
At the Prisma Health vaccine clinic, child life specialists like Hall and Annie Insley help comfort kids before getting their shot.
"Our job is to help make getting the vaccination a little easier, to promote positive coping for the patients, it can be scary to get a shot," said Insley.
Both specialists said that when it comes to talking to kids about vaccines, honesty is the best policy.
"We always encourage parents to be honest with their children on why they’re coming here and having a conversation before getting here so we don’t have those freak outs right before,” suggested Insley.
Hall and Insley said there are a few ways to comfort kids while getting vaccinated:
"I Spy is always a good distraction, sometimes we like sensory things so having something to look at. If you have tablets, bringing something they can watch, or listen to their favorite song, anything that will make them more comfortable,” suggested Hall.
Holding hands or sitting with a parent can help too.
For families like the Thompsons, the temporary discomfort of the needle is worth the comfort of knowing their family is more protected.
"It’s nice to know they have some added protection," said Thompson.
According to DHEC, there are more than 436,000 kids ages 5-11 in South Carolina and they have plenty supply of the child-sized doses at over 250 providers across the state.