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ELECTRONIC ARTICLE:
Lisa O'Brien, Anna Taddio, Moshe Ipp, Morton Goldbach, and Gideon Koren
Topical 4% Amethocaine Gel Reduces the Pain of Subcutaneous Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccination
Pediatrics 2004; 114: e720-e724 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]
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eLetters published:

[Read eLetters] I've got the needle !
mike farrall   (2 December 2004)
[Read eLetters] Response to Dr Farrall
Gideon Koren, Hospital for Sick Children, Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology, University of Western Ontario   (17 December 2004)

I've got the needle ! 2 December 2004
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mike farrall,
consultant community paediatrician
nhs uk

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Re: I've got the needle !

mike.farrall{at}mansfield-pct.nhs.uk mike farrall

The application of a local anaesthetic for routine immunisation is time consuming, expensive and totally unecessary.

Response to Dr Farrall 17 December 2004
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Gideon Koren,
Pediatrician Pharmacologist
U ofToronto,
Hospital for Sick Children, Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology, University of Western Ontario

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Re: Response to Dr Farrall

gkoren{at}sickkids.ca Gideon Koren, et al.

We thank Dr Farrall for his interest in our study. Each of his critical points deserves response: Ametop application is not time consuming, as it is done when the child is waiting to be seen in the office. The statement "totally unnecessary" ignores a large body of evidence showing needle fear among young children, which quite often translates to adults fearing even clinically important vaccinations. "Expensive" is a relative term. Many parents are ready to pay several dollars to avert pain in their toddlers.