system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why aren't patients, especially children, given something to numb the surface skin before getting a shot?
gpt
Because it would slow down the process significantly, as well as adding cost and more time for the kid to think about how he/she is totally about to get a shot, instead of just getting it over with. Since the areas we get shots are typically not especially sensitive to the pain, it is a very minor inconvenience and much of the discomfort is psychological rather than physical.