Will my child have bad reactions to immunizations?

No: Common reactions such as soreness, an occasional fever, fussiness, nausea for older children may occur. I assume " bad " reactions mean seizures or some sort of permanent damage to the child may occur, but are unbelievably rare. The risk of these reactions are on the order of being struck by lightening 10 times! "bad" reactions from the prevented diseases can be as frequent as 1 in 2000 !

No: Parents often worry about the side effects of routine vaccines. Vaccines are the safest, most studied substances we use in medicine. Many people forget that the very illnesses we are protecting against have a much more likely to cause bad reactions than the vaccines themselves. You pediatrician is happy to discuss potential side effects with you.

No: As a pediatrician in a busy practice for 12 years, i can say that the amount of patients that call us with bad reactions to vaccines is almost zero. The majority of calls are about mild local redness or soreness, a low grade fever for 24 hours or mild fussiness. These mild symptoms can usually be alleviated by Acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

No: No, bad reactions to vaccines are very very rare. Most babies show no reaction after vaccines, some get a little sleepy, and some get cranky and sore. If your baby seems to have soreness at the site of the injections, has a low grade fever, or gets irritable after vaccines, give infant Acetaminophen or check with your pediatrician.

No: No, vaccines are safe for babies. Bad reactions are extremely rare. Vaccines have been safely used in hundreds of millions of babies to prevent bad diseases. If a particular baby has a very weak immune system, and there is concern about live vaccines, the doctor will make special recommendations. If a baby does have a mild/moderate reaction after a vaccine, the doctor will give special advice.

No: Well, maybe (sorry, only allowed to choose yes or no). The most likely "bad" reaction is a little fever or fussiness the night after vaccines, or a little redness at the shot site.This happens in fewer than 20% of kids and is easily managed with tylenol (acetaminophen) and cool compresses. Allergic or severe reactions are quite rare but call your md if you think your child is having an unexpected reaction.

No: Most likely no. Serious side effects occur less than 1 in 100, 000 vaccinations. Depending on the vaccine, mild side effects (soreness at site, low grade fever, fatigue) are more common. If your child seems fussy, you can give Ibuprofen or acetaminophen. For older children, some people give a piece of candy, since sugar releases endorphins that fight pain. And every child enjoys extra cuddles!