Vaccine side effects, reactions and safety Ngā mate āpiti o ngā rongoā āraimate, ngā tauhohe me te haumaru

Kia ora, Kō Jeff Brown toko ingoa. I'm Doctor Jeff Brown, Paediatrician.

Are you wondering if getting your tamariki immunised is the right thing to do? And what the possible side effects of immunisations are?

In this video, we deep dive into the benefits of immunising your child and any potential risks and side effects.

The benefits:

Immunisation protects your tamariki, your whānau, and your community. After access to clean water, immunisation is the most effective health intervention in the world, saving millions of lives.

Immunisation stops your tamariki from getting really sick and having to go to the hospital. It stops people – you, your tamariki – dying from diseases that could be prevented. It reduces the risks of having long-term health conditions and disabilities if you do catch these diseases.

It reduces the chances of people passing diseases on to their whānau, particularly those who may not have strong immune systems. And it keeps your community safe by reducing the spread of disease, sometimes called ‘herd immunity’.

It may mean having to take less time off school and less time off work due to your whānau getting sick, and during pregnancy, it helps keep both you and your pēpi safe, preventing your baby from getting sick before they can have their own immunisations.

Common side effects:

Immunisations can cause reactions. These are usually mild, and not everyone will get them. But mild reactions are normal, and do show that your immune system is responding to the vaccine as it should.

If you're going to have any reactions, they normally happen in the first few days after getting vaccinated. The most common is a slight fever, some pain, some swelling at the injection site. This shows the vaccine is having an effect and your immune system is kicking into action.

Ways to make your child more comfortable include:

• Using a wet cloth or ice pack wrapped in a dry cloth on the injection site.
• If your child has a fever, keep them hydrated with water or give frequent breastfeeds.
• If your child gets too hot, reduce the amount of clothing they’re wearing.
• Give lots of cuddles and reassurance.
• Paracetamol can be given if advised by your doctor, nurse, or healthcare provider.

Risks:

Serious allergic reactions are extremely rare. Only about 1 in 1,000,000 people will experience this. Vaccinators are well-trained to treat allergic reactions quickly if they occur.

These serious reactions normally happen within the first few minutes of vaccination, which is why you need to wait for up to 20 minutes afterward.

If you have concerns about a reaction, talk to your doctor, nurse, trusted healthcare provider, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116 any time.

We hope this short video has helped you understand some of the possible side-effects of immunisations and what you can do to make your child more comfortable following their immunisation.

Remember, immunisations protect your tamariki from infectious diseases and getting really sick. Getting your tamariki immunised on time, every time is one of the best ways to set them up for a healthy future.

There are a number of places you can go to get your tamariki immunised:

• Your General Practitioner
• Your local Pharmacy
• Your Hauora Māori provider
• Your Pacific health provider
• Or visit bookmyvaccine.health.nz to book an immunisation.