Vaccinations are a part of growing up, but they needn’t be upsetting to your child with good pain management.
From birth, babies are required to tolerate needles as part of their medical care. In particular, vaccine injections can cause pain, anxiety and fear in babies and children – and in their parents! This pain may lead to anxiety in the future, and even develop into needle phobias and avoidance of healthcare in some cases.1,3
The magnitude of pain and distress with vaccination
By vaccinating your child, you become part of a global effort to rid the world of the devastating childhood diseases that were common in previous generations.2
While vaccinations are essential for children’s health, vaccine injections are considered to be one of the most common sources of pain in childhood, given that they are repeatedly administered to almost all children throughout infancy, childhood and adolescence.1
Ways to manage vaccination pain
Managing vaccination pain aims to prevent children from developing a fear of needles as a result of unmitigated pain and distress during vaccinations.3
Over-the-counter pain medications
Over-the-counter or non-prescription pain medications, such as paracetamol, can be helpful in alleviating the pain and fever that may be associated with childhood vaccinations.4
Children need to take a lower dose than adults, depending on their age and sometimes, weight. Ask your doctor or a pharmacist for advice if your child is small or big for their age and you’re not sure how much to give. Follow the dosage instructions exactly according to the package insert; never exceed the dosage amount, nor the maximum amount to be given in 24 hours.4
Panado, which has paracetamol as its main ingredient, has a range of products specially formulated for children. Use the table below to choose an appropriate product for your child’s age.
Suitable Panado® Products According to Age
| Panado® Formulation | From 0+ Months | From 3 Months | From 6 Years | From 9 Years | From 12 Years | Adults |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panado® Paediatric Syrup Alcohol & Sugar Free - Peppermint flavour | ✔ | |||||
| Panado® Paediatric Syrup - Peppermint flavour | ✔ | |||||
| Panado® Paediatric Syrup Strawberry | ✔ | |||||
| Panado® Paediatric Syrup 5 mL Sachet - Peppermint flavour | ✔ | |||||
| Panado® Infant Drops | ✔ | |||||
| Panado® Tablets | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Panado® Effervescent | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Panado® Capsules | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Suitable Panado products according to age 5-12
Topical anaesthetics applied directly to the skin at the vaccination site can be used to reduce pain in vaccination injections as a standard measure for children. This type of anaesthetic is widely used in medical and surgical procedures as well as prior to vaccination to lessen needle pain. They cause superficial loss of pain sensation after direct application.3,13
If you have any concerns about how much pain your child is in, contact your doctor straight away. Don’t give your child pain medications for longer than a couple of days without speaking to a doctor.4
References
- Abuelkheir M et EMLA cream: A pain-relieving strategy for childhood vaccination. Journal of International Medical Research 2014; 42(2): 329-336. DOI 10.1177/0300060513509473. Accessed 17 September 2024 Available from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0300060513509473?url_ver=Z39.88- 2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed
- Adu-Gyamfi C et National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Centre for Vaccines and Immunology. Vaccine information for parents and caregivers. November 2016. Accessed 17 September 2024 Available from: https://www.nicd.ac.za/wp- content/uploads/2017/08/NICD_Vaccine_Booklet_D132_FINAL.pdf.
- Taddio A et Reducing pain during vaccine injections: clinical practice guideline. CMAJ 2015; 187(13); 975-982. DOI 10.1503/CMAJ.150391. Accessed 17 September 2024. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4577344/
- How and when to give paracetamol for children [Internet]. July 2022. Accessed 17 September 2024. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/paracetamol-for-children/how- and-when-to-give-paracetamol-for-children.
- Panado® Tablets approved professional information, July
- Panado® Capsules approved professional information, July
- Panado® Effervescent (Tablets) approved professional information, July
- Panado® Paediatric Syrup approved professional information, May
- Panado® Paediatric Syrup Alcohol and Sugar Free approved professional information, May
- Panado® Infant Drops (Drops) professional information, August
- Panado® Paediatric Syrup Strawberry approved professional information, March
- Panado® Paediatric Alcohol Free – Grape Flavour approved professional information, October
- Kumar M et al. Topical anesthesia. Journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology 2015; 31(4): 450-456. DOI 4103/0970-9185.169049. Accessed 17 September 2024. Available from: https://journals.lww.com/joacp/Fulltext/2015/31040/Topical_anesthesia.3.aspx
CONTAINS PARACETAMOL
Panado® is indicated for the symptomatic treatment of mild-to-moderate pain and fever. Refer to Professional Information / Patient Information Leaflet for full dosage and directions for use. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Do not use for more than 10 days without consulting your doctor. KEEP ALL MEDICINES OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. PANADO® PAEDIATRIC SYRUP 5ml Sachets are for single use only. Always administer using a medicine measure or a syringe. Discard remaining contents of sachet after administration of the correct dosage. S0 (Pack sizes of <25 tablets) S1 (Pack sizes of ≥ 25 tablets) Panado® Tablets. Each tablet contains Paracetamol 500 mg.
Reg. No.: B/2.8/858. (PI 07/2016). S0 Panado® Effervescent Tablets. Each tablet contains Paracetamol 500 mg. Reg. No. V/2.7/219. (PI 07/2016). S0 (Pack sizes of <25 capsules) S1 (Pack sizes of ≥ 25 capsules) Panado® Capsules. Each capsule contains Paracetamol 500 mg. Reg. No. S/2.8/57. (PI 07/2016). S0 Panado® Paediatric Syrup Strawberry. Each 5 ml syrup contains 120 mg Paracetamol. Reg. No. 35/2.7/0112. (PI 03/2002). S0 Panado® Paediatric Alcohol Free – Grape Flavour Syrup. Each 5 ml syrup contains Paracetamol 120 mg. Reg. No. 50/2.7/1083. (PI 10/2022). S0 Panado® Paediatric Syrup. Each 5ml syrup contains Paracetamol 120 mg. Reg. No.
B/2.7/1143. (PI 05/2022). S0 Panado® Paediatric Syrup Alcohol and Sugar Free. Each 5 ml syrup contains Paracetamol 120 mg. Reg. No. V/2.8/208. (PI 05/2022) S0 Panado® Infant Drops. Each 0,6 ml contains Paracetamol 60 mg. Reg. No. V/2.7/209. (PI 08/1990). For full prescribing information refer to the Professional Information approved by SAHPRA.
Adcock Ingram Limited. Co. Reg. No. 1949/034385/06. Private Bag X69, Bryanston, 2021, South Africa. Customer care: 0860 ADCOCK/ 232625. www.adcock.com 202409178240 September 2024
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