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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Women's Health > Family, Internal Medicine, General Medical Questions > Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Expert: Robert Borucki - 10/29/2009
Question
My 4 year old son has had a seasonal flu vaccine every year since 6 months of age. About 24 hours after the injection (deltoid), he develops a reaction. At and around the injection site (reaching from shoulder down almost to his elbow) turns red, is raised and irregular, and is hot to the touch. This lasts for 4-5 days and subsides. He says it doesn't itch or hurt. The literature I've been given does say some redness and swelling at the site may occur, but 4-5 days seems to be long time to have a reaction and the extent of the swelling and redness he has seems extreme. I am considering switching him to the mist for the H1N1 to avoid this type of reaction. Any insight that you can offer on this is very much appreciated!
Answer
this may be an allergic reaction, to the vaccine or to the preservative in the vaccine, usually thimerosol. If he does get the vaccine injection again, I would make sure that the shot giver gets the vaccine into the muscle instead of into the soft tissue surrounding the muscle.... that can lead to a bigger local reaction. However, I suspect he does have an allergy to something in the shot and he is appropriate for the nasal vaccine, so it may be prudent just to switch over. Hope this helps. A little helping information would be... does he eat eggs and does he get any type of reaction, like upset stomach, etc when he does.
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