Meningitis B vaccine - how did your children react (not babies)

[tw81]

Hi, wondered if anyone here has had children who have had the men b vaccine (Bexsero)? My daughters aged 9 and 6 are booked in to have it next week, but someone has just told me that it's really, really painful and they'll be extremely sore afterwards - might not even be up for going to school the next day? The person who told me is a bit of a drama queen, so not sure whether to take this with a pinch of salt! I just want to be prepared for next week and I also want to prepare my daughters.

[captaincake]

2 year old DS was fine and he had the chicken pox one at the same time too. Was at gym group the next day.

[ItsMeTheMummy]

Hi

My daughter had it when she was about 8 months (she's now almost 2) and the 1st Jab was fine, a slight temperature and she wasn't herself for a day or two but nothing too bad. The second jab was a whole different story, she had a temp of 40-41 for almost a week, calpol wasn't much use but to be honest at that age it was really difficult to get it down her so each dose was half spat out which really didn't help matters, my dd just slept on me and cried a lot, to top it off she then developed a rash about 6 days after the injection and that seemed to be a sign her reaction was over as the next day she was fine again and the rash was gone. The third and final jab was similar to the first. Looking back in surprised I took her for the third after she was so bad with the second but I thought that we'd been through so much with the second one that I didn't want it to be wasted if we didn't complete the course. My GP told me that the second one was so bad because my dd must have been fighting a virus we weren't aware of when she had the injection and it was all too much for her little body.

Sorry if this is not much help as your children are much older but maybe don't have the injection if they're showing signs of illness before hand. I was told to give my dd paracetamol before the vaccine as unlike most other vaccines the men b one almost always results in a temperature, i know things are different for babies but it could be worth asking the clinic if you should do this with your children.

Hope that helps a bit

[ItsMeTheMummy]

Sorry, just re read the title and you specifically asked for no baby stories. Hopefully some of what I wrote might help a bit.

[thelionsleeps]

My 4 year old had a reaction to the first injection. Very sleepy and was sick after having calpol - hot and clammy with a temperature. But fine by the next day. His arm hurt for quite a while though but he did start to struggle at the injection so it may have been more painful than it needed to be iyswim. A tip I got from a friend was to make sure that you really hold them still as now they are a bit older and know what is coming they may try and bolt.

The second dose was much better. A bit sleepy but nothing like the first injection.

[ShelaghTurner]

Mine are down for it in a couple of weeks - 8 and 4 and they're already protesting. I didn't realise possible reactions were so bad.

[BeingClea]

Yeah, DD at 4 didn't react well. First one obviously hurt a lot, she got very upset, and I did end up keeping her off nursery as she said she felt too poorly to go (very unlike her, she loves nursery).

Second jab was sightly better, she got upset in advance because she knew it was coming, but was consoled with the chocolate bar I'd brought along and gave her immediately afterwards. She went nursery afterwards happily enough, though she did tell everyone how much it had hurt!

[TipBoov]

DS aged 4 had no reaction within himself, just a slightly red arm. No temp or anything but I get him calpol shortly after the injection on the doctors advice.

[SoggyBeachDays]

Mine had it last year aged 7, 4 and 1. IIRC the 7 and 4 year olds had slight temperatures the evening / night after their first jabs. Nothing dramatic though, and both were fine for school the next day. No symptoms after their 2nd jabs. My youngest had a higher temeprature and was unsettled after her first and second jags (fine after her third).

[MamehaSan]

DS had the first dose about a week after his second birthday and was absolutely fine. No temperature, fever or soreness at all. We gave him a dose of neurofen straight after the injection iirc.

He has his second dose coming up soon, so fingers crossed it's similarly uneventful!