DTaP reaction or roseola?

[boysmom2]

My 10mo old received the 3rd DTaP last Tuesday and has had a high fever and has been acting sick ever since (it's now Sunday).  Last night his fever was really high (didn't measure, he just felt scary hot).  Today he still feels warm and now has a rash.  If this hadn't coincided with the vaccine, I'd confidently say it's just roseola.  But, I'm wondering if it could be related.  Any thoughts would be appreciated,  TIA!

[rnra]

Please call your pediatrician for advice.

[boysmom2]

I would, except they are no longer on call after 11pm or on weekends.  Their answering service just tells you to go to urgent care, which in my experience is not all that helpful.  :(

[Chicharronita]

No, that isn't very helpful, and I seriously doubt they would say the symptoms are related to the vaccines even if they were.

However when he is well and you have time, I hope you will consider filing a claim with VAERS (the government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System).

In the meantime, I would recommend finding alternative medicine practitioners in your area whom you can consult when your regular doctor can't be reached.

In my experience despite being crazy busy they will still personally answer emails and phone calls and give you suggestions on what you can do.

[boysmom2]

I will report it, thanks for the reminder.  I meant to add that he is BF and I just finished 7 days of abx following minor foot surgery.  Can't remember now what the specific rx was, but it was a L1 risk in Hale's book, so I wasn't too worried.  Probably unrelated, but I thought I should add it anyway.

[Rrrrrachel]

It seems unlikely that he would have a reaction like that to the third dose but not either of the first two doses.  Is a rash usual with DTAP?  I know it can come as a reaction to mmr, but I don't think dtap.

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

It seems unlikely that he would have a reaction like that to the third dose but not either of the first two doses.  Is a rash usual with DTAP?  I know it can come as a reaction to mmr, but I don't think dtap.

My son only had a reaction to his 5th dose.

The timing seems too coincidental to not be a reaction.

[Rrrrrachel]

Yeah, but the fifth dose is given years later, isn't it? That makes more sense to me than a hugely different immune response within just a few months.

I guess I have too much statistical training to put much credence in coincidence. I hear you there, though.

Either way, hopefully it's just a self limiting response to the shot and it passes soon! No matter how many times I read fevers in babies are nbd, they make me nuts when my baby has one!

[Bokonon]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

Yeah, but the fifth dose is given years later, isn't it? That makes more sense to me than a hugely different immune response within just a few months.
I guess I have too much statistical training to put much credence in coincidence. I hear you there, though.
Either way, hopefully it's just a self limiting response to the shot and it passes soon! No matter how many times I read fevers in babies are nbd, they make me nuts when my baby has one!

Right, it's not a coincidence when it's a reaction.

[prosciencemum]

Originally Posted by Bokonon 

Right, it's not a coincidence when it's a reaction.

And it's not a reaction when it's a coincidence. The tricky part is determining if it's a coincidence or not. Which is why it's important all these events are submitted to VAERs and available as raw data for researchers checking the safety of vaccines. 

 I thought it was more likely that people react to later doses of vaccines when their immune system is already primed to respond to the antigens (the bits that cause the immune response in the vaccine - hope that's the right word!). 

 boysmom2 - hope your son is feeling better soon. Sounds like he's been having a rough time of it lately.