A child who develops a severe reaction to the first vaccination should be referred to a higher level health facility immediately.

Do not give another dose of the pentavalent vaccine if a child develops any of these severe reactions to the first dose:

  • Severe allergic reaction (doctors call it anaphylaxis), which includes severe rash, breathing difficulty, signs of shock, weak and rapid pulse, dizziness or fainting.
  • Encephalopathy, (Enchephalopathy is pronounced ‘en-seff-ah-lopp-ah-thee’) which is a disease of the brain that presents with coma, decreased level of consciousness and/or prolonged convulsions, occuring within seven days of a pentavalent vaccination, and where the symptoms are not due to another identifiable cause.
Last modified: Thursday, 22 May 2014, 5:18 PM