Diarrhea after a vaccination in the baby

Definition – Diarrhoea after a vaccination in a baby?

Diarrhea after vaccination in babies is diarrhea that has a thin consistency and occurs more frequently than normal bowel movements. Diarrhoea occurs at the same time as a vaccination and is therefore considered a side effect of the vaccination. Diarrhoea is a relatively frequent – but usually completely harmless – side effect of some vaccinations.

After which vaccinations does diarrhea occur particularly frequently in babies?

The most common form of diarrhea occurs after vaccination against rotavirus. This is an oral vaccination, which is administered 2 or 3 times (depending on the vaccine used) at intervals of at least 4 weeks. The vaccination against rotavirus is a so-called live vaccine.

This means that the vaccine contains attenuated pathogens that stimulate the immune system and thus strengthen the body’s own defence against rotavirus infection. A rotavirus infection leads to gastrointestinal infections with severe diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting. Due to the resulting loss of fluid, infants suffering from a rotavirus infection often have to be treated in hospital.

Vaccination against rotaviruses reduces the risk of contracting a serious rotavirus infection. After the vaccination against rotaviruses there may be various side effects, but the vaccination is generally well tolerated. Common possible side effects include diarrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting and fever. Diarrhoea can also occur as a short-term side effect after various other vaccinations, such as the vaccination against pneumococcus, the vaccination against meningococcus type B and type C, the combination vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus (tetanus), pertussis (whooping cough), poliomyelitis (polio), haemophilus influenzae type B and hepatitis B as well as the combination vaccination against mumps, measles and rubella. At this point we recommend our article with additional information about the vaccinations and their complications:

  • Vaccination against rotavirus
  • Baby fever after vaccination
  • Side effects of vaccinations in babies

Course of the disease with diarrhea after vaccination

The diarrhea usually lasts no longer than 1-2 days. Sometimes diarrhoea occurs only once after a vaccination.