Immunizations That May Cause Fever

Overview

Short-term, mild reactions to immunizations are common. Immunizations that may cause a fever include:

• Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis (DTaP) or diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus (DPT). Babies can have a fever of up to 104 °F (40 °C) within 2 to 3 hours of getting the DTaP or DPT shot. Children may be fussy and have other mild symptoms such as poor appetite, sleepiness, or redness and swelling at the shot site for a few days.
• Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). The shot site may become red, swollen, hard, and slightly warm within the first 24 to 48 hours. Fever also may occur up to 2 weeks after the shot. A mild rash may develop up to 3 weeks after the shot.

Credits for Immunizations That May Cause Fever

Current as of: October 31, 2022

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
William H. Blahd Jr. MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
H. Michael O'Connor MD - Emergency Medicine
David Messenger MD - Emergency Medicine, Critical Care Medicine

Note: The "printer friendly" document will not contain all the information available in the online document. Some information (e.g. cross-references to other topics, definitions or medical illustrations) is only available in the online version.

---