How long do the side effects last after a vaccination?

How long the side effects of a vaccination last depends on many factors. Among other things, this depends on the vaccine. For example, flu vaccinations have a slightly longer duration of side effects than a TBE vaccination.

Furthermore, the duration also depends strongly on the immune system of the vaccinated person. Some side effects also last longer than others. For example, the typical muscle pain after a vaccination lasts longer than a slight fever. an can therefore say that depending on the vaccination, the side effects can last from a few hours to five days. If the side effects have not disappeared even after five days, it is recommended that you consult a doctor.

When can I do sports again after a vaccination?

There is usually nothing wrong with a light physical strain after the vaccination, for example a walk or light housework and gardening. However, strenuous activities should be waited at least until the next day, because sport can intensify temporary vaccination reactions such as redness, swelling and pain. If in doubt, wait until these have disappeared.

No vaccination should be given directly before an operation.Depending on the type of vaccine, there should be two weeks between vaccination and operation. In vaccinations, especially in the case of dead vaccines, adjuvants (lat. adiuvare = to help) are added to the virus particles, which are contained in the injected solution and support the effectiveness of the vaccination by stimulating local immune cells.

An example would be aluminum, which is added to the dead vaccines in a dose of 0.125-0.82 milligrams. By comparison, most untreated foods in Europe contain less than 5 milligrams of aluminum per kilogram of food, according to an opinion issued by the European Food Safety Authority in 2008. In the case of non-European products such as fish from Asia or in-European products such as baked goods, various types of tea and vegetables or spices, the aluminum content can be well over 5 milligrams per kilogram of food.

The risk-free intake of aluminium per day, as classified by the Food Safety Authority, is around one milligram per kilogram of body weight. However, these adjuvants often trigger the classic localized pain at the injection site or on the injected arm. This is done by stimulating local immune cells, such as the Langerhans cells in the skin, which in turn release inflammatory substances, so-called cytokines.

Among other things, these cytokines cause an increase in temperature and swelling at the injection site. The intensity of the side effects is individual and varies from vaccine to vaccine. For example, the polio vaccine is much better tolerated than the tetanus vaccine.

For most people the side effects subside after 1-3 days. If there is no improvement after a longer period of time, it is recommended to consult your family doctor. In contrast to the pain and swelling, fever after vaccination is caused by the vaccine itself.

This increase in temperature represents a physiological, i.e. natural, reaction of the body to the pathogen particles, the so-called antigens (antibody generating (pathological cell components)). These antigens must be taken up by local immune cells, the so-called dendritic cells, and after migration in the lymph nodes, they must be presented to the local lymphocytes. After the so-called antigen presentation, activated B lymphocytes develop into B memory cells.

These memory cells can produce specific antibodies directed against the vaccinated antigen as soon as the body comes into contact with the pathogen. This ensures immunity. In order to make it easier for the dendritic cells to migrate into the lymph nodes, inflammation factors are formed which can increase the body’s core temperature. If the fever has not subsided after a few days or temperatures above 39°C are reached, a doctor should be consulted.