Meningitis jab: 'infant paracetamol will help baby avoid fever'
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Version 0 of 1. Parents are being advised to give paracetamol to babies who have been given the new meningitis B vaccine, to avoid the fever that follows the injection. But Public Health England, launching the national immunisation campaign which begins on 1 September, stressed that the fever was short-lived in most babies and that the side-effect was far outweighed by the protection the vaccine offered against meningitis and septicaemia, which can kill or lead to amputations in babies. The new vaccine protects against meningococcal group B disease, which affected 400 children in England in 2014 and 535 in 2013. Related: New meningitis vaccine drive ‘will save thousands of lives’ The public health minister, Jane Ellison called the introduction of the immunisation a landmark moment. “Meningitis B can be truly devastating and we know the suffering it can cause to families,” she said. “Now, in our country, every new baby can get this free vaccine to protect them from this terrible disease.” Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said the vaccine, made by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Bexsero, would save lives and prevent permanent disability. But PHE wanted to tell parents to buy infant paracetamol for the first two jabs, at age two months then at age four months. (There is a third shot at the age of 12-13 months.) Related: Meningitis B vaccine added to UK child immunisation scheme She said: “We know that fever in young infants may cause some parents concern, but it’s important to be aware that it will be short-lived in nearly all cases. The vaccine will go on to help protect against meningitis B disease during a period when babies and young children are most at risk. We’ve all too often seen the disease result in severe disabilities, or tragically even death, causing devastation to our families and communities. “Fever can be expected after any vaccination, but is more common when the MenB vaccine is given with the other routine vaccines at two and four months. Without paracetamol more than half of infants will develop a temperature after these vaccines. The fever tends to peak around six hours after vaccination and is nearly always gone completely within two days. The fever shows the baby’s immune system is responding to the vaccine, although the level of fever will depend on each child and does not show how well the vaccine will protect your baby. “Giving paracetamol soon after vaccination – and not waiting for a fever to develop – will reduce the risk of babies having a fever by more than a half. With paracetamol fewer than one in five children will get a fever and nearly all of these are mild. The paracetamol will also reduce the chance of babies being irritable or suffering discomfort [such as pain at the site of the injection] following vaccination.” Christopher Head, chief executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, said: “We are delighted the MenB vaccine has been introduced as it has been at the top of this charity’s agenda for many years. We hope this vaccine will save many lives and spare countless families the trauma of seeing a loved one die or become seriously disabled because of MenB. “This vaccine could potentially prevent up to 4,000 cases of meningococcal disease in children younger than five years in the UK. However, we must remind the public that there are still some forms of the disease which are not covered by vaccines so it is vital that people are still aware of the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.” The disease develops rapidly. The symptoms in a baby or young child include a high fever with cold hands and feet, vomiting and a refusal to eat, agitation, drowsiness or being floppy or unresponsive, grunting or breathing rapidly, or having an unusual high-pitched or moaning cry. “A classic sign is pale, blotchy skin, and a red rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it. Additional symptoms include having a tense, bulging soft spot on their head [the fontanelles], having a stiff neck and an aversion to bright lights or having convulsions or seizures,” said Ramsay. |