Getting a needle is never fun. Andrew, 3, looked to our experts for answers as to why it’s necessary.

Q: "Why do I have to get shots?" ~ Andrew, 3, Sherman Oaks, CA

Here is the answer from Dr. Anna Taddio, PhD, pharmacist and adjunct scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at the SickKids Research Institute.

A: “Bad germs can hurt your body and shots can stop these bad germs. A shot is a medicine that makes your body fight bad germs better so that you don’t get sick. You have to get shots to help to keep your body healthy.”

The scientists at SickKids are experts in most areas of health and life science. They spend their days asking tough questions and searching out the answers. Now it is your turn to ask them the tough questions.

Have you ever had a burning question about your body or about your health and didn’t know how to find the answer? This might just be the opportunity to get to the bottom of it!

You have the chance to submit your question and it will be answered by a scientist who specializes in that area. The best questions and answers will be featured on the Research Institute website: http://www.sickkids.ca/research.

Check the website often to see if your question gets posted. You can learn about what others want to know and if you read enough answers, you may even become a health expert yourself!