Very common (affecting more than 1 in 10 people at each dose):
- redness, tenderness and/or swelling at the injection site
- fever (raised temperature)
- irritability
- loss of appetite
- sleepiness
Many of these symptoms can be relieved by giving paracetamol (Calpol)if your child is over 2 months, or ibuprofen if your child is over 3 months and weighs more than 5kg (see NHS Choices
for more advice on giving painkillers to babies and children).
Common (affecting up to 1 in 10 people at each dose):
- a reaction at the injection site, such as a hard lump
Uncommon (affecting up to 1 in 100 people at each dose):
- crying
- diarrhoea
- being sick (vomiting)
- skin allergies or rash
- high temperature (above 39.5°C)
Rare (affecting up to 1 in 1000 people at each dose):
- abdominal pain
- being unable to sleep
- generally feeling unwell
You should consult your doctor if these happen after vaccination. This is mainly to check that it is the vaccine causing the symptoms, and not some unrelated disease.
Anaphylaxis
As with any vaccine, medicine or food, there is a very small chance of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is different from less severe allergic reactions because it causes life-threatening breathing and/or circulation problems. It is always extremely serious but can be treated with adrenaline. Health care workers who give vaccines know how to do this. In the UK between 1997 and 2003 there were a total of 130 reports of anaphylaxis following ALL immunisations. Around 117 million doses of vaccines were given in the UK during this period. This means that the overall rate of anaphylaxis is around 1 in 900,000.
More information on side effects
Reactions listed under ‘possible side effects’ or ‘adverse events’ on vaccine product information sheets may not all be directly linked to the vaccine. See Vaccine side effects and adverse reactions for more information on why this is the case.
If you are concerned about any reactions that occur after vaccination, consult your doctor. In the UK you can report suspected vaccine side effects to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) through the Yellow Card Scheme
. You can also contact the MHRA to ask for data on Yellow Card reports for individual vaccines
. See more information on the Yellow Card scheme and monitoring of vaccine safety.