Dr. Meghan McMurtry, a professor in the Department of Psychology, was invited by the New York Times  to contribute a commentary about why needle fear could be affecting COVID-19 vaccination rates.

McMurtry wrote that needle fear is common, and adults shouldn’t feel ashamed if they suffer from it. Health care professionals should also be conscious and understanding of these fears and added there are plenty of science-backed strategies to help.

McMurtry is a clinical and health psychologist with the Pediatric Chronic Pain program at McMaster Children’s Hospital and an associate scientist at the Children’s Health Research Institute.