Allergic Reaction To Pneumonia Shot

Side Effects Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine

What To Know About This Season’s Flu Shots

Like most vaccines, the childhood and adult versions of the pneumococcal vaccine can sometimes cause mild side effects, including:

a mild fever
redness at the site of the injection
hardness or swelling at the site of the injection

There are no serious side effects listed for either the childhood or adult versions of the vaccine apart from an extremely small risk of serious allergic reaction.

Common Flu Shot Side Effects

Repeat: The flu vaccine won’t give you the flu, but you can experience mild symptoms because of how the vaccine works.

“The flu vaccine is designed to stimulate your immune system to build antibodies to the virus. That stimulation can cause a low-grade fever, a decrease in appetite, loose stool, mild fatigue or myalgia and even a scant cough,” Teague says.

According to Teague, these symptoms usually resolve after a few days and are no cause for alarm. You may also experience some redness, swelling or soreness where the shot was injected, which is also normal.

The CDC says you can experience “flulike” symptoms after getting the vaccine, such as:

Soreness, redness, and/or swelling at the injection site
Headache
Nausea
Muscle aches

The symptoms listed above should resolve in a few days. Also, keep in mind not everyone has symptoms, but those are the most common. When it comes to other symptoms, or symptoms that last longer, it’s important to keep in mind that you can still catch a cold, or other virus, right after you get the flu shot.

So if you experience other symptoms that seem like the flu, it could be another illness and it doesn’t mean the shot made you sick. The flu shot also takes about two weeks to become effective at protecting you from the flu, so you could technically catch the flu within that two-week window.

When To See A Doctor

A person who is over 65 years of age should talk to their doctor about which pneumonia vaccine may be best for them. The doctor can help determine whether they should get the vaccination, which vaccination to get, and when to get it.

Parents and caregivers of young children should talk to a pediatrician about the schedule for the pneumonia vaccination. The pediatrician can also address any questions or concerns about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccination.

A person does not need to see a doctor for mild reactions to the vaccine, such as tenderness at the injection site, fever, or fatigue.

However, if a person experiences any life threatening side effects, they should seek emergency help immediately.

Signs and symptoms of allergic reactions in children may include:

respiratory distress, such as wheezing

Also Check: If You Have Pneumonia Will You Have A Fever

How Often Is The Pneumococcal Vaccine Given

Babies receive the pneumococcal vaccine as three separate injections, at 2 months, 4 months and 12-13 months.

People over-65 only need a single pneumococcal vaccination which will protect for life. It is not given annually like the flu jab.

People with a long term health condition may need just a single one-off pneumococcal vaccination or five-yearly vaccination depending on their underlying health problem.

Pneumonia Shot And Allergic Reaction

Pneumococcal vaccine helps prevent pneumonia, a type of lung infection, which is caused by pneumococcus bacterium. Unfortunately, there are some patients who might be allergic to an ingredient in the shot. So, in this HealthHearty article, we take a look at the allergic reactions that these shots can cause.

An infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria is referred to as pneumococcal disease. Bacterial pneumonia is a bad infection caused by these bacteria. Pneumococcal diseases include pneumonia, various types of ear infections, sinus infections, meningitis , and bacteremia . About 40% of people carry pneumococcal germs in their mouths and throats. In most healthy people, these germs do not cause any serious illnesses, as they are resistant to the bacteria.

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Side Effects Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine In Babies

Mild side effects of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine , which is the version of the pneumococcal vaccine given to babies under the age of 2, include:

a decreased appetite
redness and swelling at the site of the injection
feeling sleepy or not sleeping well

Serious side effects of the PCV vaccine are rare, and include:

a high temperature, possibly leading to convulsions
allergic reactions, such as an itchy skin rash

Children At High Risk Of Ipd

Infants at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition should receive Pneu-C-13 vaccine in a 4 dose schedule at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months followed by a dose at 12 to 15 months of age. Table 3 summarizes the recommended schedules for Pneu-C-13 vaccine for infants and children at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition by pneumococcal conjugate vaccination history.

In addition to Pneu-C-13 vaccine, children at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition should receive 1 dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine at 24 months of age, at least 8 weeks after Pneu-C-13 vaccine. If an older child or adolescent at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition has not previously received Pneu-P-23 vaccine, 1 dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine should be administered, at least 8 weeks after Pneu-C-13 vaccine. Children and adolescents at highest risk of IPD should receive 1 booster dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine refer to Booster doses and re-immunization. Refer to Immunocompromised persons for information about immunization of HSCT recipients.

Table 3: Recommended Schedules for Pneu-C-13 Vaccine for Children 2 months to less than 18 years of age, by Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination History

Age at presentation for immunization	Number of doses of Pneu-C-7, Pneu-C-10 or Pneu-C-13 previously received

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Immunisation Against Pneumococcal Disease For Babies And Children

The immunisation schedule for babies involves a course of a primary vaccine that reduces the risk of infection with 13 strains of pneumococcal bacteria.

A second type of vaccine that reduces the risk of infection with 23 strains of pneumococcal bacteria is given as a booster dose to children from four years of age if they:

have a medical condition putting them at high risk of pneumococcal disease, or
were born prematurely before 28 weeks gestation.

Protection for babies and children against pneumococcal disease is available under the National Immunisation Program Schedule. In Victoria, immunisation against pneumococcal disease is free of charge for:

Side Effects Of The Pneumococcal Vaccine In Adults And Older Children

Asthma, Allergies and the Flu: AANMA Tips

Mild side effects of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine , the version of the pneumococcal vaccine given to adults and children over the age of 2, include:

mild soreness or hardness at the site of the injection lasting 1 to 3 days
a slightly raised temperature

More serious side effects of the PPV vaccine, such as allergic reactions, are rare.

Persons With Inadequate Immunization Records

Children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered unimmunized and should be started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. Pneumococcal vaccines may be given, regardless of possible previous receipt of the vaccines, as adverse events associated with repeated immunization have not been demonstrated. Refer to Immunization of Persons with Inadequate Immunization Records in Part 3 for additional information about vaccination of people with inadequate immunization records.

Signs Of An Allergic Reaction To The Flu Shot

The risk of having a severe allergic reaction to any vaccine, including the flu shot, is 1.3 in a million. People with an allergy to eggs are most at risk of having a severe allergic reaction, but you may have a reaction to other components of the vaccine, such as preservatives.

However, a preservative allergy is even rarer, and should not deter you from getting the flu shot, says Ryan Steele, DO, board-certified allergist-immunologist and internist at Yale Medicine.

Once you get your flu shot, you may want to monitor your reaction. According to the CDC, some signs of an allergic reaction to the flu shot are:

Facial swelling around eyes and mouth
Feeling weak

If you experience these symptoms, contact a healthcare provider immediately.

Also Check: How To Get Pneumonia Out Of Lungs

Immunisation Against Pneumococcal Disease For Adults

Adult immunisation against pneumococcal disease is available free of charge under the National Immunisation Program Schedule for:

any person with certain serious medical risk conditions
all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50 years or older
people aged from 70 years.

Some medical risk conditions for which it is recommended to receive pneumococcal immunisation do not qualify for free immunisation under the National Immunisation Program. Speak to your doctor or immunisation provider for further information about the vaccine and its cost.

What To Do If Your Child Is Unwell After Pneumococcal Vaccination

What are the Most Common Pneumonia Shot Reactions?

Most common side effects in babies and young children, such as swelling or redness at the injection site, usually go away within a couple of days and you do not need to do anything about them.

If your child develops a fever, keep them cool. Make sure they do not wear too many layers of clothes or blankets, and give them cool drinks.

You can also give them a dose of infant paracetamol or ibuprofen liquid according to the instructions on the bottle.

Read an NHS leaflet about the common side effects of vaccination that may occur in babies and children under the age of 5, and how to treat them.

Medical Conditions Resulting In High Risk Of Ipd

Table 1: Medical Conditions Resulting in High risk of IPD

Non-immunocompromising conditions

IPD is more common in the winter and spring in temperate climates.

Spectrum of clinical illness

Although asymptomatic upper respiratory tract colonization is common, infection with S. pneumoniae may result in severe disease. IPD is a severe form of infection that occurs when S. pneumoniae invades normally sterile sites, such as the bloodstream or central nervous system. Bacteremia and meningitis are the most common manifestations of IPD in children 2 years of age and younger. Bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common presentation among adults and is a common complication following influenza. The case fatality rate of bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia is 5% to 7% and is higher among elderly persons. Bacterial spread within the respiratory tract may result in AOM, sinusitis or recurrent bronchitis.

Disease distribution

Worldwide, pneumococcal disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 500,000 deaths among children aged less than 5 years are attributable to pneumococcal disease each year. In Canada, IPD is most common among the very young and adults over 65 years of age.

What To Do If Your Child Is Unwell After The Vaccine

Its possible that your child may feel unwell after receiving a dose of the pneumococcal vaccine. Should this happen, there are ways to help ease their symptoms.

If your child has a fever, try to keep them cool. You can do this by providing cool liquids for them to drink and ensuring theyre not wearing too many layers.

Tenderness, redness or discoloration, and swelling at the site of the shot can be eased by applying a cool compress. To do this, wet a clean washcloth with cool water and place it gently on the affected area.

Symptoms like fever and pain at the site of the shot may be alleviated using over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen or ibuprofen . Be sure to use the infant formulation and to carefully follow the dosing instructions on the product packaging.

Prior to being approved for use, the safety and effectiveness of all vaccines must be rigorously evaluated in clinical trials. Lets take a look at some of the research into the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccines.

A evaluated the effectiveness of the PCV13 vaccine in children. It found that:

The vaccine effectiveness of PCV13 against the 13 pneumococcal strains included in the vaccine was 86 percent.
The vaccine effectiveness against pneumococcal disease due to any strain of S.pneumoniae was 60.2 percent.
The effectiveness of PCV13 didnt differ significantly between children with and without underlying health conditions.

The CDC also notes that more than

You shouldnt get the PCV13 vaccine if youre:

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What Are The Important Side Effects Of Pneumovax 23

Common side effects of pneumococcal vaccine are:

myalgia .

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widelyvarying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of avaccine cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of anothervaccine and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlledcrossover clinical trial, subjects were enrolled in four different cohortsdefined by age and vaccination status .
Subjects in each cohort were randomizedto receive intramuscular injections of Pneumovax 23 followed by placebo , or placebo followed by Pneumovax 23, at 30-day intervals.
The safety of an initial vaccination was comparedto revaccination with Pneumovax 23 for 14 days following each vaccination.
All 1008 subjects received placebo injections.
Initial vaccination was evaluated in a total of 444subjects .
Revaccination was evaluated in 564 subjects .

Serious Adverse Experiences

In this study, 10 subjects had serious adverseexperiences within 14 days of vaccination: 6 who received Pneumovax 23 and 4who received placebo. Serious adverse experiences within 14 days afterPneumovax 23 included

In this clinical study an increased rate of localreactions was observed with revaccination at 3-5 years following initialvaccination.

The most common systemicadverse reactions reported after Pneumovax 23 were as follows:

asthenia/fatigue,
myalgia and
headache.

Post-Marketing Experience

Persons With Chronic Diseases

The Truth About: The Flu Shot | WebMD

Refer to Immunization of Persons with Chronic Diseases in Part 3 for additional information about vaccination of people with chronic diseases.

Asplenia or hyposplenia

Hyposplenic or asplenic individuals should receive Pneu-C-13 vaccine and Pneu-P-23 vaccine, followed by a booster dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine. Refer to Table 3, Table 4 and Booster doses and re-immunization for additional information.

Chronic kidney disease and patients on dialysis

Individuals with chronic kidney disease should receive age appropriate pneumococcal vaccines. Children less than 18 years of age with chronic kidney failure or nephrotic syndrome, should receive Pneu-C-13 vaccine and Pneu-P-23 vaccine. Adults with chronic kidney failure should receive Pneu-P-23 vaccine. Adults with nephrotic syndrome should receive Pneu-C-13 and Pneu-P-23 vaccine. Due to the decreased immunogenicity and efficacy of Pneu-P-23 vaccine in children and adults with chronic kidney failure, 1 booster dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine is recommended. Refer to Table 3, Table 4 and Booster doses and re-immunization for additional information.

Neurologic disorders

Chronic lung disease, including asthma

Chronic heart disease

Chronic liver disease

Endocrine and metabolic diseases

Non-malignant hematologic disorders

Cochlear implants

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How To Treat Flu Vaccine Side Effects If Youre Really Struggling

Although side effects shouldnt last long, theres no shame in wanting to minimize your pain. To deal with any aches or a fever, you can try an over-the-counter pain-reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your arm is really sore, consider icing it to help with inflammation. Getting plenty of sleep, loading up on water, and generally trying to take it easy until you feel a bit better is always a good idea, too.

And if you have any questions about the flu vaccineif and when you should get your flu shot or nasal spray vaccine, if you should be worried about side effects, concerns about allergies, or anything elsedont hesitate to talk it over with a health care professional. Theyre there to help you make the process as seamless as possible.

Additional reporting by Korin Miller

Is It Too Late To Get The Flu Vaccine For The 2021

The CDC recommends getting vaccinated early in the seasonideally by the end of October.

But its not too late to get a flu vaccine this year: Physicians say now is still a good time to get one. Flu cases typically rise in February and can continue into May. And since it takes about two weeks to build strong immunity post-vaccine, the sooner you get inoculated the better.

Keep in mind: Since getting a flu vaccine is not a guarantee that you wont get the flu, its important to continue to follow other public health best practices.

Everyone still needs to be mindful of things such as avoiding close contact with people who are sick, covering your nose and mouth when you sneezepreferably with a tissue, so it can be discarded afterwardand using good hand hygiene, such as washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rubs, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth when possible, Lee Nguyen, Pharm.D., associate clinical professor for the department of clinical pharmacy practice at the University of California-Irvine, tells SELF.

If youre interested in getting a flu vaccine, you can get one through your primary care physician if you have one, or another health care professional, as well as through many pharmacies and public health departments. Sometimes, flu vaccination clinics are set up in workplaces or other frequently visited locations within a community.

This Vaccine Side Effects

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Keep track of all side effects you have. If you need a booster dose, you will need to tell the vaccination provider if the previous shot caused any side effects.

Becoming infected with pneumococcal disease is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is low.

wheezing, trouble breathing

Common side effects may include:

pain, warmth, swelling, redness, or a hard lump where a shot was given
muscle pain
headache or
feeling weak or tired.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.