After the start of large-scale vaccination against coronavirus, the population began to have more questions about how to behave after vaccination, what symptoms to look out for, etc. Doctors tried to answer the most popular of them, a correspondent of the Minsk-Novosti agency reports with reference to the Diametod portal. ru.
Most often, after vaccination, patients report fever, general concomitant weakness, headache and muscle pain, as well as chills. However, experts emphasize that it is difficult to clearly assess the body’s reaction after vaccination, since each person tolerates the procedure individually.
However, the vaccine is less well tolerated by people with weakened immune systems, chronic illnesses and the elderly. Before vaccination, these categories of citizens should consult a doctor and find out whether serious complications are possible.
Why did the temperature rise?
It should be remembered that an increase in body temperature after almost any vaccination is a natural process, since a vaccine, by definition, provokes the development of an inflammatory response of the immune system. As a result of this reaction, antibodies begin to form, which guarantee a person’s protection from contracting any infection.
If we talk about coronavirus, scientists give approximately a 90% guarantee that vaccination will help avoid infection and provide a milder course of the disease in case of infection. Some time ago, scientists assumed that the degree of temperature increase determines the amount of antibodies produced, but later abandoned this hypothesis. Additional studies were conducted, during which it was found that people who received the vaccine with severe symptoms and those who did not experience side effects developed approximately the same number of antibodies.
What is considered a reaction to a vaccine?
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Vaccination against pneumococcal infection has appeared in the vaccination schedule for children in their first year of life relatively recently.
Some mothers and fathers are afraid to vaccinate their infants because they are afraid of adverse reactions to the vaccine. In this article we will discuss what adverse reactions to vaccination are possible and what should be done if they occur.
Reaction to vaccination and vaccine: is there dependence?
A vaccination is the introduction of a special drug into the human body, which helps to develop immunity against one or more infections. The administration of any vaccine, as well as the administration of any medicine, may cause undesirable side reactions.
A severe reaction is considered to be an increase in temperature above 40 ° C and a local reaction in the form of hyperemia (redness) and swelling over 8 cm (1).
Why do reactions occur more often to some vaccines and less often to others? Why does a side effect from some vaccinations appear on the day of vaccination, while from others - after 5-10 days? The type and speed of the reaction to a vaccine depends on whether the vaccine is live or not, what components are included in its composition, as well as on the individual characteristics of the person to whom the vaccine is administered.
Most rarely, adverse reactions and complications occur in children when inactivated (that is, with a non-living pathogen) vaccines are introduced into their bodies. These vaccines are not capable of causing illness, but their administration may coincide with a child's viral infection or teething. With these conditions, it is possible, for example, an increase in temperature, which parents take as a complication after the administration of the vaccine.
Below we will look at what reactions may occur after receiving a vaccination against pneumococcal infection. You should report any reaction to the vaccine to your doctor.
Increase in body temperature to 39 degrees
This reaction to a vaccine is one of the most common, and it is quite understandable: the child’s body reacts to the entry of a foreign protein into it. A number of protective reactions are triggered, which subsequently form immunity against dangerous diseases. How high can body temperature rise? It is believed that normally it should not be higher than 39 degrees and last longer than three days. If the child’s temperature rises even higher and/or lasts longer, then an examination regarding the presence of infection is necessary.
If the child’s body temperature is more than 38-38.5 degrees after vaccination, it is recommended to give an antipyretic in a single age-specific dosage.
Irritability, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite (2)
Such reactions to vaccination are very common. As a rule, they go away quickly and do not require any treatment. Their occurrence can be partly associated with a pain reaction at the site of vaccine administration, as well as with an erroneous daily routine, which is almost inevitable when vaccination is carried out not at home, but in a medical facility. Plus, the very fact of the injection leaves an imprint on the mood.
Pain, swelling and redness at the injection site (up to 2.5 cm in diameter)
Vaccines against pneumococcal infection, like many other inactivated vaccines, contain aluminum salt as an auxiliary component (3). Thanks to this substance, the drug is not immediately absorbed into the blood, but “retains” for some time in the muscle. This stimulates the flow of blood and lymph, and therefore immune cells, to the injection site, resulting in good protection against dangerous pneumococci.
Such local reactions to vaccination do not require treatment. You just need to inform your pediatrician about them and monitor your child.
Serious reactions to pneumococcal vaccine
According to numerous studies, adverse reactions to medications are recorded much more often than to vaccinations, but it is reactions to vaccines that parents are very afraid of. Serious adverse reactions occur extremely rarely. (1)
If reactions to any vaccination occur, you should report them to your pediatrician as soon as possible. If a serious allergic reaction develops, you should urgently call an ambulance or take the child to the doctor as quickly as possible.
Every parent has the right to receive complete information about the vaccine and possible reactions to it. It is better to ask your pediatrician about this in advance. Often, a vaccine against pneumococcal infection is administered to a child at the same time as other vaccines, which may also cause unwanted reactions.
To reduce the risk of unwanted reactions, each child is examined by a doctor before vaccination to ensure that the baby is in normal health. The vaccination itself is usually given by a nurse who is trained in vaccination techniques and emergency care in case of acute allergic reactions.
By choosing vaccination, a parent contributes to protecting the health of his own child from serious diseases and their complications, which can result in death in an unvaccinated child. And such stories actually happen much more often than serious reactions to vaccinations occur.
(1) Methodological recommendations “Contraindications to vaccination”, Moscow, 2021 https://www.pediatr-russia.ru/content/potentsialnye-riski-infektsionnyh-boleznej-v-sravnenii-s-teoreticheskoj-chastotoj-postvakts
(2) V.K. Tatochenko, N.A. Ozeretskovsky. Immunoprophylaxis. Directory, 13th edition expanded. Moscow: Borges, 2021. 101 p.
(3) Vaccination specialists, link: https://www.yaprivit.ru/o-vaccinah
author Irina Arshinova
published 05/02/2019 14:44 updated 05/02/2019
The temperature has risen - what to do?
Virologist, chief researcher at the Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology named after. N. F. Gamaleya Anatoly Altstein emphasizes that fever and chills in the first day after vaccination are normal and most often pass quickly. At the same time, a temperature of 37–37.9 °C and a headache should not be a cause for concern. In the same case, if the temperature has risen above 38 ° C and the patient does not feel well, you can take antipyretic and pain relievers. There is no need to see a doctor.
However, you should be wary if after vaccination the temperature of 39 °C or higher lasts for several hours. In this case, you need to take an antipyretic drug and measure your temperature at least once an hour. If the medicine does not help, it is necessary to call a doctor at home or an ambulance, since in such a situation a person may experience convulsions or other life-threatening complications.
It is also necessary to consult a doctor if a severe allergic reaction occurs. The risk of its development is low, but not completely excluded. It is in order to provide assistance as quickly as possible, if necessary, the patient is asked to sit in the corridor for half an hour after vaccination.
It should also be remembered that the Sputnik V vaccine causes the listed reactions due to the fact that it contains an adenoviral protein. It is toxic in nature and has a rather strong effect on the body, causing an immune response. It seems to a person that he is sick, but a mild infectious process begins to take place in the body. However, the adenovirus is not able to multiply in the body and completely disintegrates after 2–3 days. Thus, an easy imitation of the infectious process is obtained.
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Shpakovskaya district hospital
Should antipyretics be used to relieve acute side effects associated with COVID-19 vaccines?
Historically, antipyretics such as ibuprofen or paracetamol have been used to control acute phase side effects secondary to various vaccines. However, some studies have shown that taking antipyretics immediately before or shortly after vaccination may affect its immunogenicity, while others have not. A two-part randomized trial assessed the effects of paracetamol given prophylactically (immediately after vaccination) in infants. In this study, antibody titers were significantly lower in those taking prophylactic paracetamol compared to the control group. Moreover, some of the differences in these results may be due to age, as the potential immunomodulatory effects of antipyretics and their potential negative interactions with vaccines may differ between children and adults.
A number of regulatory agencies have made statements regarding the use of antipyretics during vaccination. In 2015, the World Health Organization said the use of antipyretics is not recommended before or during vaccination, but is allowed in the days after vaccination, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees with these recommendations.
The mechanism of reduction in circulating antibody levels due to antipyretics after vaccination is not well understood; Several potential mechanisms have been proposed. Antipyretics such as paracetamol and ibuprofen may interfere with the interaction between the innate and adaptive immune systems in lymphatic tissue that occurs within a few hours of antigen administration. Most of the research on this topic has been undertaken to study the effect of antipyretic antibody production using animal models, which requires more data in humans with vaccines using different platforms (protein, live attenuated or mRNA vaccines).
To date, no studies have specifically examined the effect of antipyretics on the immunogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines. A recent report of a phase 1/2 blinded randomized trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine (an adenovirus vector vaccine) mentioned that prophylactic use of paracetamol did not affect vaccine immunogenicity, although data were not provided and these results may not apply to mRNA-type vaccines. Additionally, no data was provided on the use of antipyretics in the Moderna vaccine study, while the Pfizer vaccine study only mentioned that the use of antipyretics increased with increasing dose concentration and number of doses, but no immunogenicity data were provided.
Potential negative interactions between the use of antipyretics and COVID-19 vaccines may have important public health implications as they potentially affect vaccine effectiveness directly by interfering with the vaccine's immune response. Indirectly, concerns about this interaction may lead to low antipyretic use and potentially lead to nonadherence to the second dose. Going forward, clinical trials urgently need to answer four questions: 1) Do ibuprofen and paracetamol affect the antibody response of the COVID-19 vaccine, and if so, is there a difference in antibody titers between the two agents; 2) Does the potential interaction with antipyretics differ between vaccine types (mRNA vs. non-mRNA vaccines); 3) Does the time of taking antipyretics (before vaccination or immediately after) affect antibody titers; 4) Does the possible negative interaction affect only the antibody titers for the first, second, or both doses?
Multiple COVID-19 vaccines translating to billions of doses will be transiting through the pipeline soon and many might use over the counter antipyretic medications to curb early adverse events from these vaccines). The existence of potential negative interactions between these drugs and the vaccine will need to be investigated promptly, as the use of these drugs, especially in relation to the timing of vaccine administration, may be critical and potentially affect the immunogenicity of the vaccine.
Link to original: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7862017/
Temperature after vaccination against coronavirus: causes and methods of control
Possible symptoms after vaccination against coronavirus
According to statistics from the Russian Ministry of Health, most people feel good after receiving the Sputnik V vaccine.
However, some may experience adverse reactions to the main component of the vaccine, the adenoviral protein. As a result, Sputnik V has a strong effect on the human body and causes negative reactions similar to symptoms of infection with COVID-19 or another infectious disease. There is no need to worry about this: the adenovirus vector is not able to reproduce in the human body. It only imitates a small infectious process, and then disintegrates within two or three days. This means that you cannot get coronavirus because of the vaccination. After immunization with the domestic Sputnik V vaccine, the following symptoms most often occur:
- Headache . After vaccination, in addition to fever, you may feel a headache. To cope with this side effect, take a pain reliever and give yourself a rest. The pain should go away in one or two days.
- Chills . Some patients complain of chills after vaccination. According to the leaflet issued in Russian clinics, this symptom appears in 5.7% of vaccinated people. If the temperature rises above 38°, doctors recommend taking an antipyretic and waiting for the medicine to start working. If it is less, then it is better to do without taking medications.
- Allergic reaction . A small rash may occur at the injection site. In rare cases, the body's reaction to the administered drug can be strong. That is why, after vaccination, doctors ask not to leave the clinic immediately, but to wait for half an hour at the office. This is so that you can get the medical care you need if you have a serious allergic reaction. In rare cases, after vaccination, the patient's blood pressure may drop sharply, causing loss of consciousness. Virologists and doctors of medical sciences assure that such a reaction to the drug is extremely rare. If you have a slight allergy, take an antihistamine.
- Pain at the injection site . Chief physician, vaccinologist and infectious disease specialist Evgeniy Timakov explains that pain at the injection site occurs due to a small local inflammatory process. According to the doctor, the more your arm hurts, the stronger your immunity to coronavirus will develop in the future. This side effect may bother you for a week, then it goes away.
- Weakness and fatigue . Because of these side effects, doctors recommend not overloading the body in the first three days after vaccination. If you like to exercise, reschedule your workouts or skip a couple of morning runs.
According to medical experts, the younger and stronger a person is, the stronger his immune system is. This means there is a higher likelihood of unpleasant side effects. Fortunately, most of them go away within 24 hours without medical attention. If the body does not come to its senses within two to three days, go to the clinic or call an ambulance.
Causes of chills after vaccination
Chills are a spasm of the superficial blood vessels. It often manifests itself during influenza or ARVI. After vaccination against coronavirus, chills occur as an autoimmune reaction of the body to a toxic adenoviral protein. This happens as follows: once the vaccine components enter the human body, they start simulating the infectious process. Simply put, the body receives a “false” signal about infection and activates the immune system to protect itself. You may experience flu-like symptoms, including chills. If it bothers you for more than a day, do not put off visiting a therapist.
What to do if you have a fever after getting vaccinated against coronavirus?
According to statistics from the Gamaleya National Research Center, which developed the Sputnik V vaccine, some patients experience an increase in body temperature after vaccination. According to virologist Anatoly Altstein , this reaction of the body is normal. Don't forget to drink water or tea - drinks should not be cold, but at room temperature. Take a paracetamol tablet and apply cold compresses to your forehead, neck, and wrists. If a strong fever does not go away and bothers you for four hours, do not suffer and call a doctor at home. Fever may indicate the development of another disease unrelated to COVID-19.
How long do chills and fever last after coronavirus vaccination?
Fever and chills may occur almost immediately after receiving the vaccination. These manifestations of the body's protective reaction can last from a couple of hours to two to three days. Therefore, doctors recommend signing up for the procedure before the weekend. Then you will have the opportunity to rest and will not have to take time off from work or miss school due to a deterioration in your condition.
Activists and social activists from time to time propose that the authorities introduce a legal day off the day after vaccination against COVID-19. For example, in February 2021, such an idea was put forward in the Public Chamber of the Leningrad Region. However, this initiative was not approved by State Duma deputies. In their opinion, only a small proportion of patients suffer from severe side effects. The State Duma believes that there is no need to set aside a day off, because otherwise it will be necessary to establish a day off for Russians vaccinated against other diseases. Deputies believe that only in this case the initiative will be fair.
Is it possible to lower the temperature after vaccination with Sputnik V?
Doctors advise not to reduce the temperature to 38° with the help of antipyretic drugs. But, if you measured your temperature and saw a reading on the thermometer above 38°, then try to bring down the fever by drinking plenty of fluids. Doctors recommend drinking herbal tea with lemon balm or chamomile, or taking a paracetamol or Nurofen tablet. Never take broad-spectrum antibiotics. The combination of these drugs with the coronavirus vaccine has not yet been fully studied and may be dangerous for the body.
Epidemiologists also prohibit bringing down a high temperature with aspirin.
In their opinion, there are a number of contraindications that can lead to complications. Photo in text: pexels.com
When to see a doctor
Each vaccination gives its own post-vaccination picture, however, the rules for when to start taking measures against hyperthermia are the same for all vaccinations: the temperature should not be lowered if it does not exceed 38-38.5 °C. However, if the temperature readings are higher than the permissible limits, the baby has a fever for a long time, and it is not possible to lower it by any means, additional negative symptoms appear, and medical attention is needed.
The most common situations that require immediate medical attention are:
- The patient has a high fever that cannot be controlled with antipyretic medications.
- The skin has acquired a blue or yellow tint, and rashes have appeared.
- Local adverse reactions developed: a thickening and redness appeared at the injection site, it became warmer, and the patient felt itching.
- General adverse reactions have developed: the vaccinated person experiences headaches, malaise, and weakness.
In combination with hyperthermia, all of the above symptoms are a reason to immediately consult a doctor. The scenario cannot be ruled out that when prescribing the procedure, contraindications were ignored, and the patient went for the procedure, not being completely healthy. This means that his body is weakened, and the immune system is not able to respond correctly to the antigens introduced with the vaccine, on the one hand, and on the other, an attempt to resist them will take away the resources necessary to combat the causes of poor health.
Reasons why a child’s temperature after vaccination is normal
If we consider the essence of the vaccination process itself, it is similar to a normal infection. Along with the vaccine, the child is given an antigen of a particular infection, albeit in minimal doses, in inactivated or even fragmented forms. The presence of fever is a natural sign of resistance to the defense system, a good classic response of the body to interaction with pathogenic viruses or bacteria, a sign of resistance of the immune forces to an “enemy” invasion.
The described mechanism is similar to what occurs during vaccination. When an infectious agent enters the body, the immune system begins to resist, intensively producing antibodies, and generally becomes stronger. All these processes are accompanied by the accumulation of excess heat and are a sign of a normal protective reaction of the body.
If the baby’s temperature rises after vaccination, there is no need to panic either; most often this is the correct reaction.
Mechanism of development of hyperthermia
The introduction of any vaccine involves the introduction of foreign particles into the body. These are whole live or inactivated bacteria, viruses or their particles. With the activation of the immune system, the process of formation of protective bodies begins. There is a synthesis of substances that reduce heat transfer. Interferon, prostaglandins and cytokines begin to enter the blood. Activating the protection causes the thermometer to rise, and this is the norm.
The CDC's COVID-19 Vaccination Complications Task Force has published a report on the incidence of myocarditis as a possible vaccine complication (https://www.cdc.gov/). Experts report that the incidence of myocarditis detected after vaccination and theoretically linked to vaccination is very low. The total incidence of myocarditis in the vaccinated cohort does not exceed the average values for previous years. These cases, potentially associated with vaccination, are more often detected in the following situations: in young patients and adolescents, in men, after the second dose of the vaccine, 4 days after vaccination. Following this, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology prepared a document reflecting the position of these professional cardiological societies: the benefits of vaccination are very high despite the potential for rare cardiovascular complications post-vaccination (https://newsroom.heart.org/news/covid-19 -vaccine-benefits-still-outweigh-risks-despite-possible-rare-heart-complications).
Also, this document once again voices the position of communities on approaches to correcting such a very rare potential complication of vaccination as thrombosis of the cerebral venous sinuses and thrombocytopenia - the so-called. с-м post-vaccination thrombosis-thrombocytopenia (https://newsroom.heart.org/). Experts remind that the frequency of detection of this complication after COVID-19 is 8-10 times higher than after vaccination. To treat this condition, non-heparin anticoagulants should be used (available in the Russian Federation - fondaparinux, bivalirudin, DOACs). If the platelet count is less than 20 thousand/µl or with a marked decrease in fibrinogen levels, the dose of anticoagulants should be reduced. The concentration of antibodies to the heparin-platelet factor 4 complex should be determined.
Despite the very low incidence of potential cardiovascular complications of vaccination, doctors should be alert in this regard and pay attention primarily to the following symptoms: chest pain, including sudden, sharp, stabbing pain; difficulty breathing/shortness of breath; unusual heartbeat; Strong headache; blurred vision; fainting or loss of consciousness; weakness or sensory changes; speech problems; convulsions; unexplained abdominal pain; new pain or swelling of the lower extremities.
Text: Shakhmatova O.O.
Everything you wanted to ask about vaccination against COVID-19
Do I need to prepare specifically for vaccination against the new coronavirus infection? Is an examination necessary? What to do if signs of illness appear after vaccination? Experts answered these and other questions about vaccination.
What should you do if your temperature rises or your head hurts after vaccination?
Not everyone may have this reaction, but if they do, that's normal. Symptomatic therapy is allowed - you can take paracetamol. If you need a more pronounced effect, take ibuprofen. In general, both of these drugs have antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. After being vaccinated against coronavirus (not because of it, but during subsequent infection with the virus), you can get sick; such cases have been described. If symptoms appear, including acute respiratory viral infections, you should immediately consult a doctor and do a PCR test. At the same time, people who get sick after vaccination tolerate the infection easily and have no complications.
What to do if a person still gets sick with a new coronavirus infection after the first vaccination?
In this case, the second dose of the vaccine is not administered.
What should people with chronic diseases (chronic gastritis, other gastrointestinal diseases, arterial hypertension, etc.) do?
People with any chronic health conditions should be vaccinated first because they are at increased risk of severe complications from COVID-19, but they should always consult with their doctor before getting vaccinated.
Do I need to undergo tests or examinations before vaccination?
There are no such requirements. The main thing is that you feel normal on the day of vaccination. Before vaccination, the patient is examined by a doctor, measures blood pressure, checks temperature and the condition of mucous membranes (nose, throat) to exclude acute diseases. Taking a PCR test or a test for antibodies to coronavirus to make sure that you have not suffered from the disease asymptomatically is everyone’s personal choice.
Is it possible to take sedatives before vaccination so as not to worry?
Yes, you can. Against the background of anxiety and stress, blood pressure may rise. Therefore, on the day of vaccination, it is recommended to monitor your blood pressure in the morning and, if necessary, take antihypertensive medications prescribed by your doctor.
Do I need to take an antihistamine (for allergies) before or after vaccination to reduce the reaction to the vaccine, avoid fever, pain at the injection site?
No, such medicinal “preparation” is not needed. Moreover, it will only do harm. Taking antihistamines may negatively impact the immune response after vaccination, a recent study found. Antihistamines may only be needed by patients who take them on a regular basis as prescribed by a doctor. In this case, it is not worth interrupting their intake due to vaccination. These drugs are not indicated for all other citizens.
Do people with allergies risk getting a reaction to the vaccine?
If you are allergic, be sure to tell your doctor before vaccination. The doctor will recommend which vaccine to get vaccinated; they have different compositions.
Based on materials from Rospotrebnadzor
Will antiviral drugs help against coronavirus?
The effectiveness of all known antiviral drugs has not been clinically proven. Such drugs create only the illusion of protection, but do not really help protect yourself.
In addition, many patients who use antiviral drugs often relax too much, believe in their “magic” drug, and stop carefully observing the rules of hygiene, which is very bad in an epidemic.
Social distancing and hand hygiene are the best prevention against coronavirus.
