TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2021
HOME & LIVING
FEAR
Continued from Page 1B
Social media has been
a source of much incorrect
information about vaccines in
general, and COVID spe-
cifi cally, designed to dissuade
people from getting shots.
Such “fear visuals,” Guidry
said, “get more attention,”
and may be remembered
longer than other types of
illustrations.
Legitimate efforts to
encourage vaccination may
have also inadvertently
sparked fear by showing
exaggeratedly large syringes,
said Guidry, who urged public
health experts to be careful
with their messages, too.
“If you use a picture of a
huge syringe that looks twice
the size of my head, that
makes you go, ‘OK, that’s
big,’” said Guidry. “I can’t
fathom what that would do
to someone who has a needle
phobia.”
Even attempts to reas-
sure people by showing
leaders such as Dr. Anthony
Fauci or the president and
vice president getting their
COVID vaccinations on TV
can be triggering, said Hillel
Hoffmann, an independent
communications consultant
and freelance writer in Phila-
delphia.
“I always turn away,” said
Hoffmann, who recently
wrote of his near lifelong fear
of needles in a piece for Medi-
calbag, an online publication
aimed at physicians.
“I know those pictures are
supposed to psych me up
for the fact that the vaccine
is safe and available, and
I’m not worried at all about
the vaccines’ safety,” said
Hoffmann. “But what I can’t
take because of my fear of
GREENS
Continued from Page 2B
SPINACH AND
CHEESE STUFFED
SHELLS
2 (16-ounce) bags fresh
spinach (around 6 cups)
Salt to taste
12 ounces large pasta shells
1 tablespoon extra-
virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch or two of red
pepper fl akes
1 (24-ounce) container
whole milk ricotta
Go Nakamura/Getty Images-TNS
Experts say fear of needles can pose a challenge for the
campaign to vaccinate people against COVID-19.
needles is looking at a picture
of someone with a small-bore
needle buried in their deltoid
muscle.”
Public health experts say
it’s important to get at least
70% to 80% of the public
vaccinated to reach what is
called herd immunity, when
enough people will either
have had the COVID virus
or a vaccination, to severely
limit its further spread.
But fear of needles contrib-
utes to some people’s vaccine
hesitancy.
An analysis of a broad
range of studies from the
U.S. and other countries on
this topic by researchers at
the University of Michigan
showed that 20% to 30% of
adults studied cited concern
about needles, ranging from
mild anxiety to a phobia
strong enough to keep some
from seeking medical care.
Even many health care work-
ers cited a fear of needles,
according to the research,
published in the Journal of
Advanced Nursing in August
2018.
“There’s a perception that
people who work in hospi-
tals would be less afraid of
needles, because they’re sur-
rounded by them all the time,
but one study found 27% of
hospital employees who did
not take the fl u vaccine said
it was because of needle fear
or they did not like needles,”
said Jennifer McLenon, an
infection preventionist at
Henry Ford Hospital in De-
troit who completed the study
while getting her master’s
degree in epidemiology.
Another study found that
18% of health care workers in
long-term care facilities felt
the same way, she said.
An extreme fear of needles
or medical procedures involv-
ing injections is technically
called trypanophobia, said
Jeffrey Geller, president of
the American Psychiatric
Association.
“Some people avoid needles
because of fear of pain, some
from fear of fainting,” said
Geller. “And some people do
faint.”
It may have an evolution-
ary basis, said Thea Gallagh-
er, an assistant professor and
the director of the clinic at
the Center for the Treatment
and Study of Anxiety at the
University of Pennsylvania.
“We know from evolution-
ary biologists that seeing a
½ cup grated Parmesan
cheese, plus 2 tablespoons
for garnish, divided
8 ounces shredded mozzarella
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt and freshly
ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups marinara
or tomato sauce
and place in a large dry bowl.
Bring the spinach water back
to a boil and add the pasta
shells. Cook according to pack-
age instructions until al dente,
around 10 to 12 minutes. (If the
cooked shells are too soft, they
will be diffi cult to stuff.)
Drain and toss with olive oil
to keep them from sticking. Set
aside to cool.
Bring a large pot of gener-
To spinach, add minced
ously salted water to a boil. Fill
garlic,
red pepper fl akes, ricotta
a large bowl with ice water and
cheese,
Parmesan and mozza-
set next to stove.
rella.
Stir
to combine, then add
Blanch the spinach in batches
the
beaten
egg and stir again
for 15 to 20 seconds, until just
to
combine
until well blended.
wilted, and, using tongs, trans-
Season
with
salt and pepper.
fer to the ice water. Then drain.
Preheat
the
oven to 350
Squeeze out excess water with
degrees.
a clean dish towel, fi nely chop
CHARCUTERIE
Continued from Page 1B
Pancake board
The heart of any pancake charcute-
rie, of course, is the pancakes. I made a
whole batch of them, which is enough to
feed six people, or at least four.
I had thought to put blueberries in
some of them, but decided instead to
scatter the berries all around the platter
so guests could enjoy that fresh pop of
fl avor whenever they wanted it. I added
strawberries for much the same reason,
and sliced bananas, which are tragically
overlooked as an accompaniment for
pancakes.
Martini board
My martini charcuterie started off
with an assortment of gins and dry ver-
mouths; my guests could mix and match
to determine their favorite combination
of straightforward crisp and dry gin,
botanical gin or citrus-forward gin with
fl oral vermouth or earthy and slightly
bitter vermouth.
For the snack part of the charcuterie, I
made three dishes that go with martinis
like vermouth goes with gin.
Shrimp cocktail is an absolute classic;
if you ask me, every bottle of gin ought
to come with a little package of shrimp
and the ingredients for cocktail sauce.
And just as good as shrimp cocktail are
deviled eggs, which pair perfectly with
martinis and pretty much everything
else.
The third dish I made is less known:
cheddar olives. They are simple to make,
yet spectacular and spectacularly addic-
tive. They also go almost incomprehensi-
bly well with martinis — the salt in the
cheese, a faint snarl of pepper and the
brininess of the olives are just what gin
and vermouth need.
Pretzels are appropriate with any
cocktail, and so is a bar mix of peanuts,
sesame sticks and other goodies. And I
finished off the platter with more of those
sweet glazed pecans.
sharp object going into our
bodies is not something we
are supposed to be cool with,”
said Gallagher.
But Geller and Gallagher
said barriers created by this
fear or phobia could be
lowered with careful public
health messaging, along with
self-help techniques individu-
als can practice or, in severe
cases, professional assistance
from a therapist.
Public health messaging
should avoid drawings that
exaggerate the size of needles
or syringes, “which are not
helpful,” said Geller, noting
that the COVID vaccinations
involve “a small syringe and
needle.”
But, as to the effect of those
TV images night after night?
Well, it could go either way.
“For those with a fear, it
could exacerbate it,” said
Geller. “For those who don’t
have the fear, it could be
reassuring to show that it’s a
routine practice.”
McLenon, the researcher
from Michigan, said she has
heard, anecdotally, that those
shots on TV “make people
more afraid.” “Can’t we get
some pictures of the vials or
something else?” she sug-
gested.
For instance, Hoffmann,
the writer, said if he were
designing the perfect visuals
for a COVID vaccination
campaign, it would not refer
to injections directly at all.
“If I were to drive by a
drugstore and it had a poster
in the window saying ‘Come
get it today for your family.
Do it for the nation. Do it for
the public good’ we would all
know what the ‘it’ is. They
don’t have to show it.”
Still, McLenon and others
say no one has yet studied
the effect specifi c images
in the refrigerator for several days.
2. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise and
scoop out the yolks into a small bowl.
Add mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice
and a pinch of salt and pepper; mix with a
fork until smooth. Return mixture to egg
whites. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika, for
color, if desired.
Per serving: 74 calories; 6g fat; 2g satu-
rated fat; 95mg cholesterol; 3g protein; 1g
carbohydrate; no sugar; no fi ber; 123mg
sodium; 17mg calcium
— Recipe by Daniel Neman
Yield: 6 servings
Yield: 8 servings
4 eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Paprika, optional
1. Fill a medium bowl halfway with ice
and water, and set aside. Bring 1 inch of
water or more to a boil in a pot that can fi t
a steamer. When it boils, place the eggs in
the steamer in the pot, cover and steam
for 12 to 13 minutes. Remove the eggs
and immediately plunge into the ice water.
When they are cool, they can be peeled
and used immediately or kept in the shell
Now Open for Dine In
about the COVID vaccine
have on people because it’s
so new. And the desire to get
back to a more normal society
may help those with a fear
of needles push themselves
to get a COVID vaccine,
whereas they might not feel
the same way about, say, an
annual fl u vaccination.
Hoffmann, who said his
fear began after extensive
dental work as a child, said
he intends to get a shot. But
when his turn comes, he said,
he’ll likely be very nervous;
his heart will race and he will
sweat. Unlike some people
with a fear of needles, he does
not faint, although he under-
stands that reaction.
“A lot of people assume
that what I’m afraid of is the
pain,” said Hoffmann. The
worst part for him, he said, is
how he can’t control his fear
in that public setting. And it’s
embarrassing. “I’m not alone
when it happens. The person
giving me the injection sees it.
I can’t hide it.”
The emergency use authori-
zation granted Feb. 27 by
the Food and Drug Admin-
istration for the single-dose
Johnson & Johnson vaccine
is good news for people like
Hoffmann. Both the Pfi zer
and Moderna vaccines cur-
rently available require two
doses, spaced a few weeks
apart. Which means facing
fears twice.
Whether it’s one or two
shots, experts suggest a
variety of steps to help people
who struggle get through the
process — bring a support
person, take deep breaths,
stay positive, just to name a
few.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed
of. We come by it honestly,”
said Gallagher from the
University of Pennsylvania.
“Anxiety is likely making it
into a bigger monster” than it
should be. “It’s not worth beat-
ing yourself up about.”
Facing the Fear
For the millions of Ameri-
cans who have some fear
of needles, there are ways
to help yourself cope, say
experts.
• Put it in perspective. Be
positive about the reasons you
are getting the vaccine and re-
member that the pain will be
short-lived, like a stubbed toe,
said Thea Gallagher, director
of the clinic at the Center for
the Treatment and Study of
Anxiety at the University of
Pennsylvania. For those get-
ting the two-dose regimens,
“be objective about how the
fi rst one went,” she said, “and
that you got through it.”
• Bring a support person.
Some vaccination sites will
allow this. Ask.
• Practice deep breathing
or other techniques to help
stay calm at the site. Eat
something and drink water
beforehand; it reduces the
chance of fainting. And you
can request being inoculated
in a reclined position.
• Tell your vaccinator of
your concerns. “When you get
there, you can say, ‘Look, I
don’t like needles.’ The health
care providers are used to
that,” said Dr. Georges Ben-
jamin, executive director of
the American Public Health
Association.
• Don’t be afraid to seek
professional help if your fear
is intense but you feel strong-
ly about getting vaccinated.
A therapist can use cognitive-
behavioral techniques or
exposure therapy to help, said
Dr. Jeffrey Geller, president
of the American Psychiatric
Association.
Pour enough marinara or
tomato sauce into the bottom
of a large baking pan to cover,
about ¾ to 1 cup. (You can use
two smaller pans if you want to
freeze one for later.)
Fill each cooked shell with
a generous tablespoon of the
spinach and cheese fi lling.
Arrange in a single layer in the
baking dish on top of sauce.
Drizzle or spoon more tomato
sauce on top (make it as saucy
as you like) and cover the dish
with foil.
Place in oven and bake for 30
minutes. Remove from oven,
and sprinkle with the remain-
ing 2 tablespoons of grated
Parmesan.
COCKTAIL SAUCE
DEVILED EGGS
THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD — 3B
½ cup chili sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 or 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Juice from 1 wedge of lemon
Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette-TNS
Jumbo shells stuffed with spinach and cheese.
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Mix together all of the ingredients.
Serve chilled with 1 pound cooked, chilled
shrimp.
Per serving: 41 calories; no fat; no satu-
rated fat; no cholesterol; 1g protein; 10g
carbohydrate; 7g sugar; 1g fi ber; 471mg
sodium; 6mg calcium
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— Recipe by Daniel Neman
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