Immunization side effects: from normal to serious

Immunization is a very effective way to prevent disease transmission. Not surprisingly, the Indonesian Ministry of Health recommends that a series of immunizations for children and infants must be given. Behind the benefits, the thing most parents fear is the side effects after immunization, such as fever. This made some parents decide not to immunize their children. Even though if you don't immunize or it's too late, it can endanger children's health. So, it is important for parents to understand the side effects of immunization.

Is the child definitely sick after giving the vaccine?

Infants, children, and adults may experience illness after immunization as a side effect. However, most vaccines rarely cause serious side effects.

The risk of developing vaccine side effects is still much lower than the risk of contracting diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.

Each type of vaccine has different side effects, but most of them are generally quite mild. Common side effects include:

• Temporary pain in the injection area
• Redness, swelling, or pain at the injection site
• Flu-like or unwell symptoms (low-grade fever, stomach pain, vomiting, loss of appetite, and headache)

These side effects appear shortly after the vaccine is given, usually for only 1-2 days. However, if you experience persistent symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.

However, vaccines can also have serious side effects. However, this is very rare indeed. Here are some serious side effects that may occur based on the type of vaccine.

• Live attenuated(LAV) for example after the measles vaccine. The MR vaccine for measles can cause a severe allergic reaction from the liquid contained in the vaccine, also known as anaphylactic shock.
• Inactivates,this includes pertussis. This vaccine causes hypotonic side effects and hyporesponsive episodes.
• Toxoids, this includes the TT (tetanus) vaccine. This vaccine can cause anaphylactic shock and brachial neuritis.

Therefore, before you immunize, always tell your doctor or nurse if you have allergies or have had an allergic reaction to a previous vaccine.

This is because there is a possibility that someone could be allergic to the vaccine, but this is very rare.

Complete explanation about immunization side effects

Immunization belongs to the category of drugs and like drugs in general, vaccines have certain reactions in the body.

However, most of the side effects are classified as minor illnesses, such as the area where the injection hurts or the child has a fever after immunization.

The risk of side effects for children being vaccinated is much lower than the risk of getting the disease when the child is immunized late or arrives at all.

Each immunization has its own side effects. However, the most common side effects include the following.

Mild immunization side effects

Quoting from About Kids Health, the average side effects of immunization experienced by infants, children and adults can heal on their own and do not last long. Here are some of them:

Pain at the injection site

Your child may feel pain at the injection site, usually in the thigh or arm. There is no need to worry because this is a very natural and harmless thing.

When the injection is done, you can calm the child by holding your baby's hand or hugging him.

You can also calm your child by playing with dolls and making funny stories. Even though he will feel sick and cry when the injection is given, at least this method can comfort your little one.

Needle phobia

You have a fear of needles? It can happen because of childhood trauma. Children or adults can experience a phobia of needles as a side effect of immunization.

Although it is rare, some people with a phobia of needles may pass out from fear of needles.

If you or your child has a phobia of needles, discuss it with your doctor and other health professionals who will give you the immunization.

This is important to do so that doctors are at least able to prevent immunization patients from fainting and make children not afraid of being injected when they grow up.

Even so, avoid being late in giving immunizations to your little one because the side effects can be more dangerous.

There is redness and swelling at the injection site

After immunization, there may be side effect reactions such as redness, swelling, and bruising at the injection site.

Calm, cold compresses can help relieve discomfort and reduce swelling that appears at the site of the immunization injection.

This reaction can occur in one in four children who get immunization. These symptoms will appear after immunization and will disappear on their own within one to two days.

Symptoms such as getting sick with the flu

After getting immunized, your child may experience symptoms similar to the flu, but they are not. Symptoms include:

• Mild fever
• Gastric pains
• Gag
• Decreased appetite
• Headache
• Limp and achy

Immunization works by imitating the way the infection works, therefore, immunization sometimes has side effects as if your body is infected with a virus.

This "infection" does not cause disease. Instead, it will train the body to increase the child's immune system against disease. These side effects usually occur after a series of hepatitis B and DPT immunizations.

Moderate immunization side effects

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes on its official website that there are some side effects of immunization at moderate levels that are very rare. Some of the signs are:

• Fever above 38.8 degrees Celsius (even up to seizures)
• Stiff joints (experienced by adolescents and adults)
• Pneumonia in children
• Swelling of the brain
• Low platelet count

In children who have serious immune system problems, the MMR vaccine can cause infection.

Even in very severe conditions it can be life threatening. Doctors usually recommend that people with serious immune system problems should not be given the MMR vaccine.

Severe immunization side effects

The possibility of a person experiencing severe side effects is extremely rare. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the likelihood of this happening is 1 in 1 million people who receive immunizations.

The impact of immunization with a very heavy and serious level is:

• A severe allergic reaction that can lead to death
• Intussusception on rotavirus vaccine (intestinal obstruction)

For immunization side effects such as intussusception, the risk of children experiencing this after immunization is 1 in 20 thousand babies who receive the vaccine in the United States.

Reaction after immunization can occur several minutes or hours after administration of immunization.

Before it's too late, it is important for parents to inform the child's medical condition, such as food allergies or certain drugs so that immunizations are adjusted.

Why do children have fever after immunization?

Immunization is a way to protect the body from dangerous diseases before the disease comes into contact with someone.

Vaccines utilize the body's natural defense mechanism, namely the immune system or the immune system, to form specific defenses against viral infections.

When a child is immunized, the child's body is put in a vaccine that is benign. Then, the body will produce an immune response in the same way as when the body is exposed to a disease, but without the body showing the symptoms of the disease.

When the body is exposed to the same disease in the future, the immune system can respond quickly to prevent the disease from developing.

When forming an immune response after the child is immunized, the body responds, such as fever, itching, and pain at the injection site.

The body forms a new immune system combined from the immunization vaccine that is inserted into the body, causing the body temperature to rise (fever).

However, not all immunizations respond to fever, some of which may cause fever, for example measles and DPT immunizations (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus).

In addition, not all children also experience this fever response, some have a fever and some don't. Each child shows a different response after immunization.

What should be done if the child has a fever after immunization?

Yes, fever is a normal body response after receiving immunization. Usually, the child's body temperature will rise above 37.5 C after receiving immunization. As a mother, you just need to handle it well so that the fever goes down quickly.

For children who are still breastfeeding, more frequent breastfeeding can reduce fever after immunization.

Children who are exclusively breastfed tend to develop fever less frequently after immunization than children who do not receive exclusive breastfeeding or only receive formula milk.

The reason why breastfed children are less likely to develop fever after receiving immunization is not clear. However, breast milk may contain anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the risk of fever.

This may also be because breastfed children are less likely to lose their appetite when they are feeling unwell. The reason is, breastfeeding can provide comfort to children when they are sick.

In addition, children who are breastfed may also get more nutritional intake than children who are given formula milk. This makes the child recover faster from the fever.

In addition, it is known that immunization works better on children who are breastfed.

You can also compress the child with warm water in an effort to reduce fever. This compress can be placed on the arm or thigh where the injection is given.

Also wear light clothes on the child, but make sure the child is not cold. Let the child rest and give him a lot to drink.

If various methods have been done but the fever does not go down, you can give fever-reducing drugs according to the recommendations and dosages given by the doctor.

When to be vigilant and consult a doctor?

If you have tried the above methods and have not been able to relieve fever as a side effect of immunization in children, give paracetamol or ibuprofen at the right dose and time as recommended by your doctor.

You should immediately take your child to the doctor if the child is showing symptoms, such as:

• The fever gets higher than 40 degrees C.
• The child cries for more than 3 hours at a time.
• The child becomes lethargic and excessively sleepy.
• The baby has seizures because the fever is very high.

Immunization can protect the health of more than one child. Immunization in one child can reduce the child's chance of suffering from a disease and transmitting the disease to other children.

If the immunization rate is high in an area, the risk of spreading certain diseases can decrease. This makes those who have not or have not received immunizations protected from disease.

Serious immunization side effects are extremely rare. However, in very rare cases, your little one may experience the things below.

• A severe allergic or anaphylactic reaction characterized by difficulty breathing and a drop in blood pressure
• Seizures
• High fever
• Joint pain or stiff muscles
• Lung infection

The various symptoms above are considered severe side effects. You need to take your child to the doctor if you experience it.

For anaphylactic or severe allergic reactions, this condition is very serious and often occurs when immunizing for 6 diseases at once.

This severe allergic reaction is so rare that it can only occur in 1 in 100 thousand cases after being given an immunization. Severe allergic reactions include:

• Itchy rash
• Swelling of the face and throat
• The child has difficulty breathing
• Fast heartbeat
• Limp body

This condition requires immediate consultation with a doctor or until going to the emergency room (UGD).

Don't worry, immunization is still safe for children

As with other drugs, immunization side effects can occur. However, that does not mean that your child is not given immunizations because the side effects of children being late in immunization are more dangerous than the side effects of vaccines which are very rare.

Quoting from the NHS, the main ingredients of vaccines are bacteria, viruses, or small doses of toxins that have been weakened or destroyed in the laboratory first. What does it mean? This proves that there is no risk of getting sick from the vaccine.

Sometimes vaccines contain other ingredients that make vaccines safer and more effective at preventing disease. This leaves the risk of damage or side effects very small.

Even though they have side effects, your child still needs to get immunized.

Avoid to delay or even not immunize your little one. The reason is, the risk of children getting the disease is greater when they are not vaccinated compared to when they are given the vaccine.

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