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Vaccine reaction |
| Definition: |
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A vaccine reaction is any injury or condition that occurs as a result of a vaccination to protect against disease. Serious reactions to vaccines are exceedingly rare, and vaccination carries far less risk than contracting the disease it prevents. |
| Alternative Names: |
| Vaccine injury |
| Symptoms: |
NORMAL REACTION TO DTaP IMMUNIZATION
REACTIONS INCORRECTLY ATRIBUTED TO MMR Several anti-vaccine groups have attributed the rise of autism in the United States to use of the MMR. This has been shown to be untrue by rigorous scientific study. ABNORMAL REACTION TO POLIO VACCINE Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock NORMAL REACTION TO PREVNAR (PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE) Fever |
| Signs and tests: |
| Testing is usually unnecessary. |
| Treatment: |
| Treatment depends on the type of symptom observed following immunization. Fever is normally treated with acetaminophen and cool sponge baths. Children with seizures must be seen by a health care provider promptly. Children who develop encephalitis will be hospitalized. |
| Expectations (prognosis): |
| Very few children who receive standard childhood vaccines develop significant problems following immunizations. For children who develop problems, standard fever care and a call to the health care provider for reassurance often suffice. |
| Complications: |
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Abscess (pus) at site of immunization is a possible complication of vaccination. Other complications are the same as symptoms |
| Calling your health care provider: |
| Call your health care provider if you feel that your child is having an adverse reaction to immunizations. |
| Prevention: |
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Considering the severity of the diseases that childhood immunizations prevent, the risk of the disease far exceeds the risk of injury from the vaccine. The incidence of vaccine-related injury is extremely low. Vaccines are available that produce less fever, less swelling at the site of injection, and fewer vaccine-related conditions. For example, the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine and the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) currently in use produce fewer side effects than vaccines used against these illnesses in the past. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) and the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act were established to track and record reactions to vaccines and help clarify whether there is a consistent pattern of injury associated with a given vaccine. Physicians are required to record complete information about the vaccines they are using and supply this information to VAERS, along with any reports of injury. |
Reviewed By: Philip L. Graham III, M.D., F.A.A.P., Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of New York, Columbia University, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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