All medicines have side effects, but vaccines are among the safest. The benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the risk of side effects.
When we’re considering a vaccination for ourselves or our children, it's natural to think about the potential side effects of that vaccination. But you have to balance the risk against the benefits.
So, what are the side effects of vaccination?
Most side effects from vaccination are mild. It's quite usual for people to have redness or swelling in the place where they had the injection, but this soon goes away. Younger children or babies may be a bit irritable or unwell or have a slight temperature. Again, this goes away within one or two days.
Find out how to report a side effect to a vaccination.
In much rarer cases, some people have an allergic reaction soon after a vaccination. This is usually a rash or itching that affects part or all of the body. The GP or nurse giving the vaccine are trained to treat this.
On very rare occasions, a severe allergic reaction may happen within a few minutes of the vaccination. This is called an anaphylactic reaction. It can lead to breathing difficulties and, in some cases, collapse.
Remember that anaphylactic reactions are extremely rare (less than one in a million). Vaccination staff are trained to deal with these reactions, and they're completely reversible if treated promptly.
Vaccination versus medicine
Vaccination is different from giving medicine to an unwell child to make them better. The benefits of vaccination are invisible. Your child won't become ill with measles or crippled by polio, or end up in intensive care with meningitis C.
It may be tempting to say 'no' to vaccination and 'leave it to nature' instead. However, deciding not to vaccinate your child puts them at risk of catching a range of potentially serious, even fatal, diseases.
In reality, having a vaccination is much safer than not having one. They’re not 100% effective in every child, but they’re the best defence against epidemics that used to kill or permanently disable millions of children and adults.
Read more about the safety of vaccinations.
