What to do if your child becomes red and swollen after vaccination

Medicine is relatively developed nowadays. If the baby can get vaccinations on time after birth, some diseases can be prevented. However, parents cannot sit back and relax after the vaccination. Within 24 hours after the vaccination, the baby should be carefully observed to see if the baby has any adverse reactions and to see if there is any redness or swelling at the vaccination site. What should I do if my child becomes red and swollen after receiving a vaccination?

What should I do if the baby's vaccination site is red and swollen?

Pay attention

After the baby gets the vaccination, parents should pay attention to observation. If there is only local redness and swelling at the injection site, but no fever, suppuration, severe pain, etc., it should be a normal local reaction after the vaccination. Although the vaccine has been inactivated or attenuated, it is a protein or other antigenic substance after all, and it still has a certain stimulating effect on the human body. Parents do not need to take any action and should avoid contact with water on the same day. The condition will usually disappear within a few days.

Heat relief

Your baby may experience local reactions within 24 hours after vaccination, such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain at the vaccination site. If the local redness and swelling are severe, you can apply hot compress (hot compress is strictly prohibited for redness and swelling after BCG vaccination). Soak a clean towel in warm water, then wring it dry and apply it to the red and swollen area for about 5 minutes each time, once in the morning and once in the evening, which will help reduce swelling.

Potato topical relief

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that potatoes have the effect of reducing swelling and dispersing nodules. Fresh potato slices applied externally have a hypertonic effect and can relieve local swelling. If the area where your baby received the vaccination is red and swollen, you can apply fresh potato slices on the second day after the injection, for 3-5 minutes each time, 3-4 times a day. After a period of time, you will see an immediate swelling-reducing effect.

Keep dry and clean

When the area where the baby received the vaccination becomes red and swollen, parents should pay attention to keeping the area dry and clean. It is recommended not to get it wet for 2-3 days to prevent the child from scratching it with their hands. Iodine should be applied externally for disinfection every day to prevent secondary infection.

Seek medical attention promptly

If the area where the baby received the vaccination is not only red and swollen, but also has symptoms such as suppuration, local nodules (larger than 3cm), bleeding, ulceration, fever, and lack of energy, it may be caused by a local infection. You should go to the hospital for treatment in time and do not delay.