Fever after vaccination | What to do if your baby has a fever?

Fever after vaccination

After a vaccination a so-called vaccination reaction can occur. This is a harmless reaction after a vaccination, which usually disappears quickly. It is important to note that most people tolerate a vaccination without any problems.

A vaccination reaction must also be distinguished from the side effects of vaccination, which are also called vaccination complications. Here it comes to therapy-needy health damages, which often remain from permanently. Their occurrence is extremely rare and is, for example, 1 per 60,000 vaccinated doses for an intestinal invasion as a complication of rotavirus vaccination.

A vaccination reaction can lead to a local reaction with pain and swelling of the vaccination site, but also to a generalized reaction. One of these generalized reactions can be expressed as a fever. After about 5-6 hours a slight fever may develop, which may last up to three days.

The reaction of the body with fever in the course of a vaccination is completely harmless and is a sign of an immune reaction of the body, which is finally intended by the vaccination. (or Should I have my baby vaccinated?. or Should I have my baby vaccinated?.

High fever in the baby

The normal body temperature is about 36.8 degrees Celsius and fluctuates throughout the day. From 37.5 degrees Celsius on, we speak of so-called sub-febrile temperatures, which means elevated temperature, but by definition does not yet constitute a fever. Above 38.5 degrees Celsius the term fever is used.

By definition, high fever exists from 39 to 40 degrees Celsius. In newborns, temperatures above 37.8 degrees Celsius measured rectally are already considered fever. While the thermometer tends to indicate subfebrile temperatures in the case of banal flu-like infections, the thermometer rises to high values above 39 or 40 degrees Celsius in the case of severe infections such as influenza or classic bacterial pneumonia.

Temperatures above 41.5 degrees Celsius become a threat to the body because the body contains a number of proteins that cannot withstand the high temperatures. Such high temperatures are rare, because the body usually limits fever upwards. Especially high fever should be treated relatively quickly, also with medication.

40°C: Fever above 39 to 40 degrees Celsius is by definition called high fever. If even at these temperatures there is no halt and values above 41 degrees Celsius are measured, then it is called hyperpyrexia. Temperatures above 41.5 degrees Celsius become a threat to the body because the body contains a number of proteins which cannot withstand the high temperatures. In the case of hyperpyrexia, the target value of the body temperature is too high, so that it is a misregulation of the body temperature.Such a rise in body temperature is absolutely and urgently to be treated.