Reaction at injection site..... advice please

[Levanna]

DD1 had her pre school imms yesterday. At one site she has developed a rash and large bump. It's hot to the touch and is about 5 x 2.5 cm.

It's not the side where the nurse bent the needle by hitting her bone but the other side.

I've drawn around it in felt tip but what sort of increase is reasonable or are there any other things I should be looking out for. She does have a temp.

levanna, did she get tettanus?
(sorry cant remamber immunisation schedual!)

When dd had her pre-school imms she reacted just as you describe. It flattened out over a day or so until almost the whole of the top of her arm was red, while the lump remained hot and swollen. It seems that it's pretty normal for them to have this kind of reaction, and for it to take several days to disappear.

Ok, thanks WWB, I'll watch with interest!

Chapsmum, DTaP and MMR in this area at least.

Chapsmum, a little confused TBH! In red book it says Dip/Tet and Polio.
And MMR.

I'm asking because when tetanus ime can cause a fair amount of localised sweeling and flu like symptoms.
Reccommendadtions are to seak medical attendtion if the bump is biggar thatn a 10/50p peice (but you prob knew that)
The drawing a circle round it is great idea, it prob should get bigger now.
It is prob too late for it to be an allergic reaction, and so it is prob her immune system reaction to the vaccine. (shows shes got a good one)
Brufen and cold compresses for the swelling and calpol for the temp
hth

Thanks CM

God I should read my post first, that ment to say it prob shouldn't get any bigger now
It no prob
(ps you prob know it but the mmr does give v mild symptoms of the three illneses over the next few weeks, so dont be alarmed if she gets another unexplained rash in a few weeks)

My dd1 reacted in exactly the same way. I wasn't sure what arm had what (forgot her red book) but one side was red, hard and hot to the touch. It went down after a few days.

Thanks SM. I think it's the side which didn't have MMR, it's not very clear in her red book.

I'm sure I've heard of more reactions to the pre-school imms rather than baby ones. Why is that? Is it something to do with the immune reaction you mentioned CM?

Levanna its partially to do with the type of vaccine, mmr is a live vaccine, it introduces teeny tiny amounts of the virus into the body and causes the immune system to react and create antibodies so that the next time they are exposed to the viruses the immune system knows what to do.
Tetanus is not live it is the introduction of an antibody, however even the presence of an antibody is met with some kind of immunological responce.
Both vaccines will cause redness and swelling to some degree it is v normal.

It's spread steadily but very slowly throughout the day, so nothing drastic has happened but it now covers a large area of her upper arm like your childrens, WWB and SM.
Thanks for your reassurance!

Chapsmum, I suppose in my rational mind I'm aware of it not being uncommon but until I saw the reaction of DD1, I wasn't sure when to worry (and in the absence of such, I tend to start right away ) thanks for the info

Keep a close eye on it Levanna - dd had a terrible reaction to one of her pre-school boosters - there is a thread, will look, but in a nutshell after two days of piriton and no improvement she ended up on a course of anti-biotics. Def not a normal reaction. You should see the pics!

Here you go levanna . Quite a while ago now!