Redness and swelling at the vaccination site

When you go to the maternal and child health care center, you will find many babies getting injections, because children must receive vaccinations after birth, and they have to receive vaccinations several times every few months or every year. The places where vaccinations have been given may have short-term redness, swelling and lumps because the skin is more delicate. In this case, it should be considered a physiological reaction, and allergies and infections cannot be ruled out, so you need to be especially careful.

Normal reaction

After your baby is vaccinated, it is very common for the injection site to have short-term local inflammatory reactions such as redness, swelling, heat, and pain. There is no need to worry too much. These local reactions are generally mild and most of them will disappear on their own after two or three days. They are normal reactions to vaccination. You can also use a clean towel to apply hot compress to the injection site to relieve pain and discomfort.

It may be allergies

This situation may be an allergic reaction caused by the vaccine. This allergic reaction is a normal reaction to the vaccine and will return to normal on its own in two or three days, so no treatment is needed.

Possibly an infection

If the redness, swelling, heat and pain at the vaccination site continue to intensify, and the local lymph nodes are obviously swollen and painful, it means that secondary infection may occur. You should take your baby to the hospital and ask the doctor to treat it in time.

Be careful not to squeeze the injection site, it will be slowly absorbed after a while. You can also apply raw potato slices to the area, which will help it absorb faster.

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.

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.