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In order to protect your child against certain infectious diseases, it is recommended that during the first years of life you give your child the appropriate vaccinations that will allow the body to produce the correct antibodies. The vaccine is quite a powerful agent for the young organism, which sometimes reacts in a way that may worry parents and carers a bit. One such reaction is post-vaccination fever. How do you react when an infant or an older child develops a fever after vaccination? How long can it last? What are its causes and what else is worth knowing about it? You will find the answers to these and other questions in the article below.
What are the causes of fever after vaccination?
A slight fever after vaccination, especially in infants and younger children, should not be particularly alarming. This is the body’s natural reaction to the germs present in the vaccine. The organism under their influence simply produces antibodies and immune cells. However, the post-vaccination fever does not always have to be present. It happens that in some children this symptom does not appear.
To control the temperature, it is worth buying the BRAUN PRT1000 Flexible-Tip Electronic Thermometer, which is convenient and safe to use. Order it on Medonet Market at a promotional price.
What to do in case of a fever after vaccination?
Many parents wonder how to react when a child has a fever after vaccination. First of all, it is worth taking certain precautions, not to panic and watch the baby.
You can conveniently measure the temperature of your child by using Vitammy Thermo Stickers for monitoring fever in children.
Remember that the low-grade fever that occurs after vaccination, i.e. the temperature up to 37,9 degrees Celsius, is not particularly dangerous and at such a temperature you should not give your baby any antipyretic drugs. However, it is worth reacting when we are dealing with temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius. In this case, young children are particularly recommended to administer paracetamol and ibuprofen.
In addition to the drugs that we can buy at the pharmacy, it is also worth reaching for some home remedies to lower the body temperature. One of them are cold compresses, which are most often applied to the head and neck of a child. Adequate hydration is also necessary in the case of fever after vaccination, as the fever causes your little one to lose more water than usual. Bathing in water at a temperature of about 1-2 degrees lower than body temperature may also be helpful.
If your child shows no additional disturbing symptoms, you can go outside with your toddler during post-vaccination fever, ensuring that he does not overheat and at the same time that he is adequately covered so that he does not catch a cold.
How can I prevent a fever after vaccination?
Unfortunately, there are no proven methods to prevent fever after vaccination. Sometimes parents of young children recommend that children be given special antipyretic preparations before vaccination and a few hours after the procedure. It turns out, however, that while they can actually prevent fever from occurring after vaccination, they can also have a very negative impact on the course of vaccination. Research has shown that these types of measures can significantly reduce the effectiveness of vaccination, even when given to a child about 25 hours after vaccination. So if we are worried about any symptoms that appear in a child after vaccination, it is better not to act on your own, but to go to a doctor immediately, who will advise the most effective and safe action for the child.
Duration of fever after vaccination
Although some parents may panic even when the fever lasts only an hour, it is worth remembering that this symptom may persist for up to two days. This applies especially to mild fever and low-grade fever. You should see your doctor if your baby has a very high temperature or if the fever lasts longer than two days.
Post-vaccination fever and NOP
In recent years, a lot has been said about the NOP. This acronym stands for adverse vaccine reactions, symptoms that may appear up to four weeks after vaccination. There are many different undesirable symptoms after vaccination, but it is worth remembering that many of them do not threaten the health and life of the child. The most common cases of NOP are mild and should not be feared. In addition to a fever, your child may also develop swelling, reddening of the skin and a slight lump at the vaccine site after the vaccination. The most severe vaccine reaction that can occur is anaphylactic shock, which can endanger not only the health but also the life of the child.