After vaccine care

Today’s vaccines do not cause serious side effects (except for the exceedingly rare allergic reaction, which I have never seen happen). However, they can make you child a little sore or achy for a day or two. There are ways to help your child feel better after the vaccines.

Sleep

Many children, especially babies, may seem tired and/or sleep a little more after the vaccines, and that is normal. Be sure your child is drinking plenty of fluids. Often, a low-grade fever makes young children sleepy.

If your child has the opposite problem and has a hard time sleeping due to discomfort or soreness, see below for ways to help.

Fever

It is not unusual for children to have a low-grade fever (101-102 F) for a day or two after the vaccines. Remember that fever will never harm your child, so don’t worry about the fever itself. In fact, research shows that fever helps the vaccines to work because it is part of the immune system’s natural response; antibody levels are higher when fever is allowed to run its natural course.

Most vaccine-related fever happens between 0-3 days after the vaccine is given. However, the MMR and the varicella vaccines can cause fever 7-10 days after the vaccine. It does not need to be treated either.

So you don’t need to treat the fever! Only treat discomfort, not fever itself.

If your child has a fever, be sure to give your child plenty of fluids to drink.

Discomfort/fussiness

The vaccines can also make your child feel a little achy. Fever can do that, or just responding to vaccines even without a fever. If your child feels bad — is achy, fussy, not sleeping well, or seems not to feel well — treat this with acetaminophen at any age or ibuprofen 6 months and older. The dose is based on your child’s weight.

Soreness & local reactions

The vaccines can also cause mild soreness at the injection site. There might be slight redness, swelling, or knots in the muscle. These are normal reactions. You can use a warm or cold compress, whichever seems to make your child feel better. You can also treat this with acetaminophen at any age or ibuprofen 6 months and older.

The reactions to vaccines are very mild and usually not as bad as getting a cold, and they are certainly far better than the diseases themselves. A little extra love and care for a day or two and your child will be completely back to normal.