Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Has your child been vaccinated? Now Covid-19 vaccine already available for children aged 12-17 years. Some parents may be relieved to have their children vaccinated and add another layer of protection during the pandemic. However, it is undeniable that there are parents who are worried about the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine.
One of the side effects or more accurately called post-immunization follow-up events (AEFI) is fever. Not only the Covid-19 vaccine, fever can also occur in basic vaccinations or immunizations when the child is still a baby.
However, Ellen Wijaya, a pediatrician at Pondok Indah Hospital, said that fever is a mechanism for a healthy child’s body after vaccination.
“With the vaccine, the body will form an antibody response, one of which is the fever. This is not a dangerous thing,” said Ellen in a webinar with Pondok Indah Hospital, some time ago.
Parents should not rush to panic when their child has a fever after the covid vaccine or other vaccines. Simply measure the temperature and then see if the child’s body temperature is above 38 degrees Celsius, the child is restless, continues to be fussy, feels uncomfortable, can be given fever-reducing drugs including Paracetamol and assisted by compresses. As for pain or swelling at the injection site, parents simply give a warm compress.
However, if the child has a fever but his condition can remain active, does not look restless, looks ‘happy’, just do the observation.
If the child does not have a fever after vaccination, is this normal?
Ellen said parents need not worry when their child does not have a fever or does not find an antibody response like other children. Every child has a different and special body response.
“Every child is special, the antigen receptor is different, the sensitivity is different. So every child has an antigen receptor. The vaccine enters, the antigen is bound and antibodies are formed. That’s special and not everyone is the same. Some have fever, some are neutral, but antibodies are still formed and give protection of children,” he explained.
He also asked parents not to panic if their child has a fever after the Covid vaccine or vaccination in general.
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