Give swine flu vaccine a shot, say Doctors

Experts say don't worry about side effects as high fever seen only in those with low immunity on a given day

In spite ofu00a0 stray reports of adverse reactions to the intra-nasal swine flu vaccine coming in, doctors in the city are asking people not to panic.

Speaking to MiD DAY, a few doctors said that a few people were suffering from high-grade fever, nausea and runny nose after taking the vaccine dose.

Dr Sachin Shah, director of paediatrics and neonatology, Aditya Birla Memorial Hospital, agreed that some of his patients fell ill after taking the vaccine. "I have given the vaccine to many. It's not that every person who takes it falls sick. I think it's a good preventive measure and do not advise against taking it, but it is true that in some cases it resulted in side effects such as high-grade fever. A few of my patients had got about 104 F fever after vaccination and complained of fever and nausea," said Shah.

However, he said his people recovered in a couple of days.

Another paediatrician from the same hospital requesting anonymity said that a few of his patients had also got high fever and weakness after vaccination. "I had given the vaccine to a few children. When they got high fever, their parents got scared and started calling me up. They even complained of body ache and throat pain.

I asked them to just let the children rest. They had to miss school for a couple of days," said the doctor.

While agreeing that the vaccine was triggering a few mild reactions, doctors are asking people not to get scared and continue the vaccination. "So far, I have immunised about 500 children with the H1N1 vaccine and it's true there are symptoms of fever, runny nose and headaches. As far as high fever is concerned, it is rare.

But what is worse, fever for a couple of days or protection against swine flu? Also, fever as high as 104 F can occur only if someone's immunity is low on that day. We must remember that it is an attenuated vaccine," said Dr Dilip Sarda, ex-president of Indian Medical Association.