Taking the pain out of vaccination for you and your little one

Tears and tantrums at vaccination time may soon be a thing of the past with emla, a topical anaesthetic

now approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for use prior to vaccinations in all age groups

including full term babies 0-6 months¹.

emla is an effective topical anaesthetic that is easily applied to the skin to numb the area before needle

insertion¹ and has been shown to significantly reduce the pain and distress experienced by babies²,

children and parents during needle procedures³. This can help manage needle phobia from developing⁴.

In babies and young children, when combined with oral glucose, emla reduces the number of crying

infants by more than 25 percent and the crying time by 18 percent².

With a total of 27 vaccinations covering 13 different infections recommended in the first four years of life⁵,

parents no longer need to be concerned about the pain associated with needles and how it will affect their

children.

Kylie Johnston, mother of two, said the next three years will be a dream at vaccination time.

"Jasmine (18 months) hated her shots and her younger brother Arlo gets his first shot next month.

Anything to prevent the sleepless night before that day is a huge relief."

International research shows that 10 percent of people have needle phobia⁴ and children feel that

needles are the most frightening aspect of visiting a doctor³.

Dr Piazza, a Sydney-based general practitioner (GP), said "Pain has not only physical, but emotional and

psychological aspects to it. Many people avoid receiving vaccinations and giving blood because of the

pain associated with those procedures when they were young.

"Importantly, emla can help to minimise the number of people not completing their, or their child’s,

immunisation schedules⁶," Dr Piazza said.

Dr Piazza explained that while this is good news for mothers of very young children, the benefits also

extend to many Australians requiring needles for vaccination and minor surgical and cosmetic

procedures.

"emla can help soothe the pain for teenagers receiving vaccinations through the school National

Immunisation Program, travelers requiring vaccinations, and those undergoing blood testing and a range

of minor surgical and cosmetic procedures including hair removal, laser and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

treatments, dermabrasion, piercings, removal of warts, moles, tattooing, and tattoo removal¹," he said.

emla should be applied 60 minutes prior to the procedure and can be left on for up to four hours for

children and five hours for adults. emla is effective for up to two hours after removing the cream or patch ¹.

emla is available without a prescription from pharmacies as a patch for needles and anaesthesia of small

areas, or cream for use in superficial skin surgery and anaesthesia of larger areas ¹.

emla has been used by more than 200 million people worldwide⁷.

For more information about emla see your pharmacist and visit www.emla.com.au or call

1800 805 342.

References:

emla® Approved Product Information. Date of TGA approval 23 May 2008.
Lindh V et al. EMLA cream and oral glucose for immunization pain in 3 month old infants. Pain 2003; 104: 381-8.
Cassidy KL et al. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the EMLA patch for the reduction of pain associated with
intramuscular injection in four to six-year-old children. Acta Paediatr 2001; 90: 1329-1336.
Hamilton JG. Needle phobia: a neglected diagnosis J Fam Pract 1995; 41: 169-75.
National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/nips
(Accessed 25 September 2008).
Dohlwitz A et al. No negative influence of EMLA application prior to BCG vaccination. Acta Paediatr 1998; 87: 480-1.
Data on File, AstraZeneca Pty Ltd.

Mum Zone Release Date: 4th November 2008