Question

The 30-day-old infant received the Hepatitis B vaccine and developed redness that turned into purulent swelling by day 43. How is the general condition now?

Answer

It is very rare for the Hepatitis B vaccine to cause purulent swelling. It’s possible that the site of administration for the BCG vaccine was mistakenly thought to be the site for the Hepatitis B vaccine. If purulent swelling indeed occurs at the site of the Hepatitis B vaccine, it may be due to an infection. In addition to the described treatment, it is best to also take oral antibiotics, such as amoxicillin. Generally, purulent swelling caused by vaccine administration is not severe, but there is a possibility of worsening conditions, so it is recommended to monitor closely. If the child develops a fever, symptomatic treatment is needed. Here are some suggestions when the child has a fever:

  1. If the body temperature is below 38.5 degrees Celsius, use warm water sponge baths every 20 minutes to help effectively lower the temperature.
  2. If the body temperature exceeds 38.5 degrees Celsius, take children’s medicine like Merck (ibuprofen) to reduce fever.
  3. If there is no sweating or fever reduction after one hour of medication, and the body temperature rises above 39 degrees Celsius, use alcohol sponge baths to cool down (not recommended for infants).
  4. If the situation does not improve, it may be necessary to go to the hospital for an injection of fever-reducing medicine and further treatment.