What to do if the redness and swelling after vaccination

We all know that babies will go to the hospital to get the DPT vaccine in the third month after birth, so that they can avoid diseases such as tetanus and diphtheria in life. However, after getting the DPT vaccine, many parents will find that their babies have some adverse reactions, such as redness, swelling or fever at the needle hole. This always makes parents very anxious. They don’t know how to help the baby relieve and care for them, for fear of causing inflammation at the needle hole. Let’s learn about what to do if there is redness and swelling after getting the DPT vaccine.

What to do if the redness and swelling after vaccination

The local swelling, hardening or aseptic suppuration caused by DTP vaccination is often caused by shallow intramuscular injection, poorly shaken vaccine, excessive dose, and long storage time of the vaccine after opening. However, if the vaccination unit strictly controls the vaccination, these factors can generally be ruled out.

The DTP vaccine is a mixed preparation, which is prepared by mixing pertussis vaccine, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids in appropriate proportions and then adding aluminum hydroxide adsorbent. Due to its complex biological properties, the pertussis vaccine contains heat-labile toxin (HLT), a heat-labile protein toxic substance, which is related to local redness and necrosis after vaccination. The formation of redness, swelling, nodules and sterile suppuration may be mainly related to the HLT of the pertussis vaccine.

In addition, the DTP vaccine is an adsorption preparation. The larger particles formed after the adsorption of bacteria slow down the absorption rate. The adsorbed substances of large particles are phagocytosed by leukocytes and accumulate locally, causing local necrosis. Liquefaction may also cause redness, swelling, nodules or aseptic suppuration. At present, the DTP vaccine needs to be further modified to improve the quality of the vaccine.

As the number of injections increases and the age of the child increases, the rate of redness, swelling and nodules increases, which is probably related to the antigenicity of the vaccine, the individual physical differences of children and the immune response generated by the combination of the re-immunized antigen and the antibodies already formed in the body.

It is recommended to go to a local hospital for detailed examination and symptomatic treatment to avoid delaying the disease or making it worse.

The above is an introduction to what to do if redness and swelling occur after a DPT vaccination. Parents must pay special attention after the vaccination. Do not bathe the baby and keep the needle hole clean. Also, do not let the baby scratch with his hands, as this is particularly prone to infection. When the baby is crying, you can take the baby outdoors more often or distract the baby's attention, and you can help the baby with hot compresses as appropriate.