Can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?

A lot of parents with toddlers ponder the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’ Let us look into the answer to it in this article.

Vaccinating your little bundle of joy is of utmost importance. Choosing the best vaccine for them is also equally important. There are a lot of vaccines in the market and it could be quite confusing to select one out of the lot. Personally, I had to research a lot before vaccinating my first daughter and I had a lot of questions as well. I also came across a lot of myths that were busted by my pediatrician. I thought it would be helpful for the other mothers as well if I write a brief article on it. Without further delay, let us jump into the answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’.

It is necessary to make sure that all the products we use on our little bundle of joy are the safest. Check out our article on the 10 ways to choose the best baby products to give your baby the best care.

Painful vs painless vaccination

To know the answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’ one needs to know about the basics of both vaccinations. The main thing to understand is that in India, the painless vaccination vs the painful vaccination option is available only for Diptheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTP) combination vaccination. The difference is only in the Pertussis part of the vaccination. Let us look into it briefly below.

Let us start with the painful vaccination otherwise technically known as the DTwP vaccine. It is a vaccine in which the Pertussis bacteria is whole-cell (thus the ‘w’ before the P). It means that a few whole pertussis bacteria are used as an immunogen. Since the whole bacteria is used, the post-vaccination symptoms like fever, drowsiness and other such side effects are a little intense. On the other hand, the painless vaccine has only a few parts of the pertussis bacteria and so it is called the acellular vaccine (DTaP). Since the whole cell is not present, the post-vaccination symptoms of the painless vaccine are less, thereby deriving its name.

To know more about the advantages of the painless vaccination and to read more about both the painless and painful vaccination, check out our recent article on painless vs normal vaccination.

Can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?

Now that we have looked at the basics of both vaccinations, it is time to look into the answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’ It is usually said that switching from painless to painful vaccination is not advisable. But it is not true in most cases. There are a lot of doctors who suggest switching from painless to painful vaccination depending on a lot of conditions. Let us look at a few of the conditions below so that you will get an answer to the question of ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination’?

The most common reason for switching is the unavailability of vaccines in health centers or hospitals. In that case, it is okay to switch as it would be looked over by a pediatrician. If you do not want to switch and can afford to wait for a few days and find the booster somewhere else, you can do that as well. Thus, it is important to ask your doctor why they are prescribing to switch.

The next reason is that the doctor might feel like the first dose has to be backed by a different booster for a better result. In that case, it is advisable to go by the doctor’s word and switch to a different booster. Usually, this change is from painless to painful. So, be prepared for the post-vaccination symptoms of the painful vaccination.

The other reason is that some painless vaccination might not have an antibody for diseases other than DPT, and some painful vaccination might not have an antibody for other diseases as well. Thus, doctors might suggest a change in the vaccination so that the baby is properly protected against all diseases.

These are three of the most common reasons for switching vaccines. In short, the answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’ is yes. But be sure to consider a few things below doing so. Let us look at these in brief detail below.

Things to consider before switching vaccines

Now that we have got an answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’, let us look at a few of the things to be considered before doing so.

• The most important thing to note is that both vaccines will leave a little pain, redness, swelling, and softness at the sight of the injection.
• Always consult your pediatrician before wanting to switch. Your doctor will have the best answer depending on your baby’s medical history.
• Read more about the vaccines in advance. For eg. Hexaxim, Penta, and such are a few of the common vaccines that are prescribed in India.
• Consider switching from painless to painful and vice versa depending on how your baby reacts to one of the vaccines.

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Takeaway

I hope that this article helped you to figure out an answer to the question ‘can we switch from painless to painful vaccination?’ By the end of the day, the switching depends on your little one’s reaction to one of the vaccines along with the pediatrician’s recommendation. Sometimes the painless vaccines are good and sometimes the painful vaccines are good. You know your baby the best and so you know what is best for your baby. Stay vaccinated and stay safe!

Are you looking for ways to improve your parenting skills and establish healthy parenting with your little one? Check out our article on 5 words to use instead of ‘no’ to help model healthy parenting.