Is vaccination possible despite fever?
Vaccination should be avoided during a fever attack. Fever is an expression of an activation of the immune system. This means that the immune system forms antibodies against foreign material, in most cases these are pathogens.
An immune reaction also takes place after vaccination. Although this reaction is weaker than the reaction to a pathogen, the vaccination can cause an additional burden on the immune system. To enable the immune system to eliminate the pathogen in the body without having to do additional work through vaccination, vaccination is not required during the acute fever attack.
The vaccination should then be made up for at a later date when the person concerned is healthy again. The rabies and tetanus vaccination is an exception. These two vaccinations can be administered after the person has come into contact with the pathogen. Since the vaccination is the only chance to get a grip on the pathogen, it can also be administered during already existing fever. However, this is an absolute exception.This topic might be interesting for you: Side effects of vaccination
Diagnosis
The best way to determine whether there is an increase in temperature after vaccination is to measure the body temperature using a clinical thermometer. The rectal measurement (the thermometer is inserted into the anus) is the most accurate method, as the values determined come closest to the body core temperature. Other methods of measurement, such as taking the temperature under the armpit, in the mouth or in the ear, may give a less accurate reading because of the measurement over the body surface, but they also serve their purpose in providing an overview of the temperature. Further indications of the presence of fever are characteristic accompanying symptoms such as a feeling of heat or chills, headaches and aching limbs, sweating, warm and reddened facial skin, glassy and tired eyes and a feeling of exhaustion.
