Skin rash after hepatitis vaccination | Skin rash after vaccination

Skin rash after hepatitis vaccination

The Standing Committee on Immunization (STIKO) recommends hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns as a basic immunization. Even adults at increased risk of infection, such as healthcare workers, persons with changing sex partners and many other risk groups should receive vaccination against the hepatitis B virus. In the case of hepatitis A, protection should be provided primarily for international travelers (especially to southern countries) and health care workers.

There is a separate vaccine for hepatitis A and B each as well as a combination vaccine (e.g. Twinrix®). The vaccine is considered to be well tolerated, but in about one in ten cases pain and redness at the injection site occur. Swelling and itching may also develop at the injection site. Relatively often there can also be fatigue and diarrhea, as well as nausea.

Adult rash

In adults, a rash may occur both during basic immunization and booster vaccination. Even in adults, vaccination with the MMR vaccine (against mumps, measles, rubella) can lead to a rash typical of measles. However, since mumps, measles and rubella are so-called childhood diseases, the vaccination should be administered at an early age.

Adults who have not been vaccinated against MMR can, however, catch up on the vaccination in order to protect children in the vicinity. In addition, the vaccination is recommended because adults can also contract these childhood diseases. In some cases, the disease can take a severe course with meningitis or result in infertility.

In addition, various booster vaccinations (e.g. tetanus, diphtheria, polio) or primary vaccinations (travel vaccinations such as hepatitis A, yellow fever, etc.) may cause local redness around the injection site in adults. Allergic reactions to a vaccine are much less common in adulthood, and are accompanied by rashes.

In the generally recognized vaccination calendar of the STIKO (permanent vaccination commission), the first basic immunization (G1) for many infectious diseases, such as diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus or polio, is already scheduled from the 2nd month of life. At this age, the children’s immune system is already able to defend itself against the vaccine by developing defense mechanisms against the real pathogens. In general, the appearance of a rash after vaccination is possible with every vaccine, especially redness around the injection site is also common in babies.

In about 5% of cases, children develop a rash typical of measles, mumps and rubella after vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella, which can spread over the face and the entire body (“vaccination measles”). This rash can occur during the first and subsequent MMR vaccinations and disappears again after a few days without causing complications. Often the babies still have a slight fever and feel unwell at the same time.