- Local Reaction to the Injection (all vaccines except oral polio):
- Pain: for initial pain or tenderness at the injection site:
- Apply ice to the area for 20 minutes once.
- Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen by mouth.
- Ask your pharmacist to recommend a pediatric brand containing either of these ingredients.
- Fever:
- For fevers above 102°F (39°C), give acetaminophen (okay to use ibuprofen if older than 6 months old).
- Ask your pharmacist to recommend a pediatric brand containing either of these ingredients.
- Do not give any products containing aspirin.
- General Reaction:
- All vaccines can cause mild fussiness, irritablity and restless sleep. While this is usually due to a sore injection site, sometimes the cause is less clear.
- Some children sleep more than usual.
- A decreased appetite and activity level are also common.
- These symptoms do not need any medical treatment and will usually go away in 24-48 hours.
- IF your child becomes worse: Review Should I Call? recommendations.
- Chicken Pox Vaccine: The following harmless reactions can occur after immunization with the Chicken pox vaccine:
- Pain, swelling, or redness at the injection site lasts for 24 to 48 hours and occurs in 19% of children.
- Fever occurs in 14% of children, begins 17 to 28 days after the vaccine and lasts for 24 to 72 hours. Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen for fever greater than 102 F (39 C). Never give aspirin for fever, pain or within 6 weeks of receiving the vaccine. (Reason: risk of Reye's syndrome - a rare but serious brain disease.)
- Chicken pox-like vaccine rash (usually two lesions) at the injection site occurs in 3% of children.
- Chicken pox-like vaccine rash (usually five lesions) scattered all over the body occurs in 4% of children. This mild rash begins 5-26 days after the vaccine and usually lasts a few days
- Children with these vaccine rashes can go to day care or school. (Reason: for practical purposes, vaccine rashes are not contagious).
- EXCEPTION: avoid day care or school if your child has widespread or weepy lesions. (Reason: probably actual chicken pox.)
- Precaution: if vaccine rash contains fluid, cover it with clothing or Band-Aid.
- DTaP or DT Vaccine: The following harmless reactions to DTaP can occur:
- Pain, tenderness, swelling or redness occurs at the injection site in 25% of children and lasts for 24 to 48 hours. Swollen arm or leg following the fourth or fifth DTAaP shot occurs in only 3% of the population and is not serious.
- Fever occurs in 25% of children and lasts for 24 to 48 hours.
- Mild drowsiness occurs in 30% of children, fretfulness in 30%, poor appetite in 10% and lasts for 24 to 48 hours.
- Hemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine: The following harmless reactions to Hib can occur:
- Soreness at the injection site or mild fever occurs in only 1.5% of children.
- No serious reactions reported.
- Hepatitis A Vaccine:
- No serious reactions reported.
- Sore injection site occurs in 20% of children, loss of appetite in 10%, and headache in 5%, but usually no fever. If these symptoms occur, they typically begin 3-5 days after the vaccine and last 24-48 hours.
- Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine: (HBV)
- No serious reactions reported.
- Sore injection site occurs in 30% of children, and mild fever in 3% of children.
- Because fever from the vaccine is rare, any infant less than 3 months of age with a fever following the vaccine should be examined.
- Influenza Virus Vaccine:
- Pain, tenderness or swelling at the injection site occurs within 6-8 hours in 10 % of children.
- Fevers of 101 to 103 F (38.4-39.5 C) occur in 18% of children. Fevers are mainly seen in younger children.
- Measles Vaccine:
- The measles vaccine can cause a fever (10% of children), and rash (5% of children) about 6 to 12 days following the injection.
- The fever is usually between 101° and 103°F (38.4° and 39.5°C) and lasts 2 or 3 days.
- The mild pink rash is mainly on the trunk and lasts 2 or 3 days.
- No treatment is necessary.
- Your child is not contagious.
- IF your child becomes worse: Review Should I Call? recommendations.
- Meningococcal Vaccine:
- No serious reactions.
- Sore injection site for 1-2 days is common.
- Mumps or Rubella Vaccine: There are no reactions except for an occasional sore injection site.
- Pneumococcus Vaccine:
- Pain, tenderness, swelling OR redness at the injection site occurs in 15-30% of children.
- Mild fever of less than 102 F (39 C) occur in 15% of children and last for 24-48 hours.
- Polio Vaccine:
- There are no serious reactions to oral polio vaccine.
- Polio vaccine by injection occasionally causes some muscle soreness.
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Should I Call?
