AUSVAXSAFETY summary report 2020: 6 month infographic

12,367 parents/carers responded to an SMS about their child’s health a few days after their 6-month vaccinations. 92% reported no adverse events. 8% reported any adverse event, including 0.7% who reported taking their child to a doctor or emergency department in the days after vaccination. The adverse events they reported were similar to the types of adverse events reported overall. 964 parents/carers reported one or more adverse events. The most commonly reported were fever (321 reports), irritability (316 reports), injection site swelling or redness (260 reports), sleep pattern change (233 reports) and tiredness (184 reports). These symptoms are known to occur after vaccination. They are generally mild and short-lived. These symptoms are also common in young children for other reasons (such as viral infection) and may not be related to vaccination. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who received this vaccine had the same rates and types of adverse events as other children. The vaccine given at 6 months in 2020 is Infanrix hexa (protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, polio).