Abu Dhabi urges parents to ease children’s vaccine fears with calm preparation

The Early Childhood Authority says honest, age-appropriate explanations and comfort before, during and after injections can reduce anxiety, while rejecting the discredited link between the MMR vaccine and autism.

Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority is urging parents to keep children on the recommended vaccination schedule and to prepare them emotionally before a jab, saying the approach can reduce fear, ease anxiety and help children feel safe during and after the appointment.

In guidance set out in its parents’ vaccination handbook, the authority says routine immunisation remains one of the most effective ways to prevent serious illness and curb the spread of infection. It notes that some vaccines require more than one dose to build strong immunity, while others are needed because protection can fade over time or because a first dose does not always produce a sufficient immune response. Certain vaccines are also designed to protect against changing strains of illness, such as influenza, the authority says.

The authority says vaccination plays a central role in preventing diseases including measles, polio and meningitis, and adds that high uptake in the community helps shield people who cannot be vaccinated or whose immune systems are weakened. Health officials in Abu Dhabi have previously made similar arguments, with the Department of Health saying parents should ensure children receive all required doses and challenging common myths that can lead families to delay or refuse immunisation.

To help children cope with fear, the authority recommends listening carefully to their concerns, reassuring them that they will not be alone and explaining, in age-appropriate language, what will happen. It also advises parents not to dismiss children’s worries, to use books and stories suited to the child’s age, and to involve siblings and other family members in offering encouragement. During and after the vaccination, the authority recommends staying calm, holding the child close, using distraction and, for infants, breastfeeding where possible to help with comfort.

The authority also stresses the need for honest but gentle preparation at home, including practising calm breathing and relaxed arm muscles before the appointment. It says children should be praised for cooperating afterwards, rather than compared with others or asked to hide their fear, and parents should speak to a doctor if they have questions or if any symptoms appear after vaccination.

It also rejects the long-circulating claim that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine causes autism. The authority says scientific studies have discredited that link and warns that the myth can persist because autism is often identified around the same age that children receive the vaccine. It urges families to rely on trusted medical sources and says vaccines are available at government and private primary care centres and hospitals across the UAE.