Reducing vaccine pain

• Putting this cream on your child's skin before a shot can help make it hurt less.

Give pain-relieving medicines:

• If your child still seems to be in pain after you get home, you can give acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol) or ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin).
• First, ask your child's doctor or nurse how much medicine to give and how often to give it.

• Ask about numbing cream (refer to first row above).
• Feed your baby breast milk or formula, or give a pacifier.
• If your baby is getting the rotavirus vaccine, ask the doctor or nurse to give it before any shots.
  • The rotavirus vaccine comes as a liquid that tastes sweet and might help reduce the pain of the shot.
  • If your baby is not due for rotavirus vaccine, you can ask about giving sugar water before the vaccine.

During the shot:

• Feed your baby breast milk or formula, or give a pacifier.

After the shot:

• Feed your baby breast milk or formula, or give a pacifier.
• Swaddle, hold, or gently rock your baby.
• Give pain-relieving medicine based on your doctor's instructions (refer to first row above).

• Ask about numbing cream (refer to first row above).
• Feed your child breast milk or cow's milk, or give a pacifier.

During the shot:

• Feed your child breast milk or cow's milk, or give a pacifier.
• Distract your child with a toy.

After the shot:

• Feed your child breast milk or cow's milk, or give a pacifier.
• Hold or rock your child, or help them "blow the pain away."
• Give pain-relieving medicine based on your doctor's instructions (refer to first row above).