What should I look for?
Look for any unusual condition, such as a serious allergic reaction, high fever, weakness, or unusual behavior.
Serious allergic reactions are extremely rare with any vaccine. If one were to happen, it would most likely come within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot.
Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include:
- difficulty breathing
- weakness - hives
- hoarseness or wheezing
- dizziness - paleness
- selling of the throat
- fast heart beat
What should I do?
Call a doctor, or get the child to a doctor right away.
Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it happened, and when the shot was given.
Ask your healthcare provider to report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) form. Or you can file this report yourself through the VAERS website at www.vaers.hhs.gov, or by calling 1-800-822-7967.
VAERS does not provide medical advice.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
A federal program exists to help pay for the care of anyone who has a serious reaction to a vaccine.
For information about the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, call 1-800-338-2382 or visit their website at www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation.
For More Information
Ask your healthcare provider. They can show you the vaccine package insert or suggest other sources of information.
Call your local or state health department.
Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO).
Visit CDC websites at www.cdc.gov/vaccines, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis.
Precautions
If your child is sick on the date vaccinations are scheduled, your provider may want to put them off until she recovers. A child with a mild cold or a low fever can usually be vaccinated that day. But for a more serious illness, it may be better to wait.
Some children should not get certain vaccines. Talk with your provider if your child had a serious reaction after a previous dose of a vaccine, or has any life-threatening allergies. (These reactions and allergies are rare.)
If your child had any of these reactions to a previous dose of DTaP:
- A brain or nervous system disease within 7 days
- Non-stop crying for 3 or more hours
- A seizure or collapse
- A fever over 105ºF
Talk to your provider before getting DTaP Vaccine.
If your child has:
- A life-threatening allergy to the antibiotics neomycin, streptomycin, or polymyxin B
Talk to your provider before getting Polio Vaccine.
If your child has:
- A life-threatening allergy to yeast
Talk to your provider before getting Hepatitis B Vaccine.
If your child has:
- A weakened immune system
- Ongoing digestive problems
- Recently gotten a blood transfusion or other blood product
- Ever had intussusception (an uncommon type of intestinal obstruction)
Talk to your provider before getting Rotavirus Vaccine.
