When do the side effects occur?
The harmless vaccination reactions often occur within a few hours after vaccination. These include above all local reactions such as pain, redness and swelling. Symptoms such as limb and joint pain then follow a few hours to a few days after the vaccination.
Fever often does not occur immediately after the vaccination but only after a few days. Severe complications occur after very variable intervals. For example, an allergic reaction usually occurs very quickly after vaccination, often after a few minutes. An earlier feared complication, the development of the disease against which the vaccination was actually administered, only occurred after several days or weeks. Nowadays, however, such side effects are practically non-existent.
How long do the side effects last?
Just as quickly as the harmless vaccination reactions occurred, they usually disappeared again. Redness, swelling and pain around the injection site disappear again after a few hours or days. Fever and other general symptoms also disappear completely after a few days to about a week.
Rare and serious complications require medical treatment. The duration of these symptoms varies greatly. However, lasting side effects are rarely observed nowadays.
Treatment/Therapy
Many local vaccination reactions do not require treatment. They pass away by themselves. If there is severe pain and swelling at the injection site, cooling pads or moist compresses can be used to cool the area.
Often this simple measure already leads to a significant alleviation of the symptoms. If a fever occurs after vaccination, the doctor should be consulted beforehand, especially with children, to determine when it is advisable to reduce the fever. A slight fever can often be tolerated.
If the fever is high or in children who have already suffered febrile convulsions, it is better to start lowering the fever early. Damp compresses can often help here as well, otherwise fever-reducing medication must be used. Physical rest is usually the best remedy for headaches and aching limbs.
After a vaccination you should generally avoid excessive exertion, such as during sports. Severe complications of the vaccination require medical treatment in any case. In case of very rare symptoms such as dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of consciousness, confusion, severe headaches or seizures, a doctor must be called immediately. Such symptoms usually have to be treated in hospital and are potentially life-threatening.
