Side Effects of DTaP
The DTaP vaccine prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough), all serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. This vaccine is provided by injection to babies and children from 6 weeks to 7 years old. Some minor side effects are common.
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Minor Side Effects
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About one child in three becomes irritable after the DTaP shot, while one in four develops a fever, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One in four children also develop redness, soreness, swelling or bruising at the injection site.
Other Side Effects
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Other relatively common side effects include tiredness, lack of appetite and vomiting. About 3 percent of children experience swelling of the entire leg or arm that was injected; this can last up to a week.
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Rare Side Effects
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Crying for three hours or longer occurs in about 1 in 1000 children. Rare serious side effects include seizures or a fever over 105 degrees F.
Allergic Reactions
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Severe allergic reactions have been reported in fewer than one in 1 million doses of DTaP, and the CDC notes that these reactions may not actually be linked to the vaccine.
Prevention/Solution
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Parents can prevent or decrease the fever and reactions at the injection site by giving the child an aspirin-free pain medication before the vaccination, and for the next 24 hours according to directions.
Considerations
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To prevent severity of side effects, sick children should not be given the vaccine until they recover. Side effects usually are caused by the pertussis part of the vaccine, so children who have a severe reaction to a DTaP shot can get a DT booster without the pertussis portion.
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