Vaccinations are an important part of your child’s healthcare growing up. It can feel like they have to go through far too many injections in the early years, but focus on how important it is to protect your little one from some potentially very serious illnesses. By being aware of how to deal with any unpleasant side effects of the vaccination, you can quickly comfort your child and help them feel better so you can forget the jab and get back to normal.
When your baby has a vaccination, you will be warned that they may have a few symptoms after-wards. For a new parent, this can be worrying and even if it’s not your first, every child reacts differently to a vaccination so you may be just as worried with your fifth little one as you were with your first. So what should you expect? What exactly is vaccination fever and what can you do to give your child some relief?
What is Vaccination Fever?
Vaccination ever refers to a high temperature after a vaccination has been given. It may or may not be accompanied by vomiting and/or diarrhoea and irritability. As well as these symptoms of vaccination fever, your child may feel pain and discomfort at the site of the injection, and have less appetite or seem clingier than usual. The symptoms of vaccination fever should pass in a short period of time ? they should be much better by the next day.
Treating Vaccination Fever
The only way to treat adverse reactions to an immunisation is to treat each symptom. For a high temperature and pain you can give paracetamol and ibuprofen. A lukewarm compress may also help to bring the temperature down (not a cold compress as the body will fight to push the temperature up further so the cold compress does the opposite of what you need it to do). Dress your child lightly and monitor the temperature so you know when it is going down or creeping back up. Avoid tight clothing around the site of the injection as well. If your child is clingy or irritable, you may want to just make allowances for how they feel, keeping them close and giving plenty of comforting cuddles without letting your little one get too hot as a result of your own body heat.
When to Worry
If you feel that your child has had more than a normal reaction to an immunisation than it is important to seek medical advice. If your child has a temperature that will not come down, even with the use of paracetamol etc. then consider asking your doctor for their opinion. If you see any signs of an allergic reaction to the immunisation, which is extremely unlikely but not impossible, then it is important to get your child to hospital right away. Any swelling, especially of the lips and mouth, difficulty breathing or rashes should be checked out right away by a medical professional.
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