No fever after vaccination means the vaccine is ineffective?

Dear doctor, my child has been vaccinated with two doses of Synflorix and 6-in-1 pneumococcal vaccine and is still breastfeeding, sleeping well, and has no fever. Does this mean the vaccine is ineffective? (Ngoc Mai, Yen Bai )

Reply:

Post-vaccination reactions are quite diverse, depending on the physical condition, each child will have a different fever manifestation. In which, most children have a mild fever reaction, some children have no fever and a few children have a high fever.

Fever after vaccination is a signal that the immune system recognizes a foreign agent and reacts. For people without fever, it does not mean that the immune system is not "fighting", but it fights in a gentler way, but the ultimate goal is still to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Therefore, parents should not worry too much because whether or not their child has a fever after vaccination does not determine the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Children without fever after vaccination still ensure vaccine effectiveness. Photo: CDC — Children without fever after vaccination still ensure vaccine effectiveness. Photo: *CDC*

In case the child has a mild fever (below 38 degrees), parents should not give antipyretics but continue to monitor the child's temperature and general condition. If the child's temperature is between 38-38.4 degrees, consider using antipyretics if the child is uncomfortable, fussy or has a history of febrile convulsions.

A few children have a high fever after vaccination (38.5 degrees or higher), parents should give their children paracetamol to reduce fever at a dose of 10-15mg/kg of body weight. The maximum total dose is not more than 100mg/kg of body weight in 24 hours, each dose is 4-6 hours apart, not more than 6 times per day or as prescribed by a doctor.

Encourage your child to cool down and wear loose clothing, and encourage them to play to reduce fever naturally without having to use too much medicine.

In cases where children take 2-3 doses of fever-reducing medicine but the fever does not go down, the child may have other illnesses and not just a fever after vaccination. Parents should take the child to a pediatric medical facility for timely examination and treatment by a doctor.

Take your child to the nearest medical facility immediately if the following signs appear:

- Fever over 39 degrees

- Not responding to antipyretics (fever does not go down after taking medicine for an hour)

- Convulsions or fatigue, no response to calls

- Cyanosis, difficulty breathing

- Crying and screaming for more than 3 hours

- Poor feeding, rash and other common reactions lasting more than a day

- Abscess, severe pain and swelling at the injection site.

Dr. Le Thi Truc Phuong
VNVC vaccination system

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