CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Febrile Seizures Following Childhood Vaccinations, Including Influenza Vaccination

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/febrile.htm[04/30/12 04:09:53 PM]

Febrile Seizures Following

Childhood Vaccinations, Including

Influenza and Pneumococcal

Vaccinations

Questions & Answers

What is a

febrile

seizure?

Febrile

means

"having a

fever." A

seizure is a

convulsion or

fit of uncontrolled body movements. A

"febrile seizure" refers to a

seizure/convulsion in a child associated

with a fever. In children younger than 5

years old, having a fever for any reason

can bring on a febrile seizure. During a

febrile seizure, a child often has spasms

or jerking movements—large or small—

and may lose consciousness. Febrile

seizures usually last only a minute or

two, and do not cause any permanent

neurological damage. They are most

common with body temperatures

reaching 102°F (38.9°C) or higher, but

also can occur at lower body

temperatures or when a fever is going

down.

What causes febrile seizures in

children?

Febrile seizures can happen with any

condition that causes a fever, including

common childhood illnesses like a cold,

the flu, an ear infection, or roseola.

Since vaccinations may be associated

with fever, febrile seizures sometimes

happen after vaccination, although

rarely.

How serious is a febrile

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What is a

febrile seizure?

What causes

febrile seizures

in children?

How serious is

a febrile

seizure?

Who is most at

risk for febrile

seizures?

Is there an

increased risk

for febrile

seizures after

children

receive an

influenza (flu)

vaccine?

What are the

benefits of

timely

childhood

vaccination?

Can febrile

seizures after

childhood

vaccinations

be prevented?

Can febrile

seizures after

any childhood

vaccination be

reported to

CDC and FDA?

Where can I

learn more

about febrile

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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Febrile Seizures Following Childhood Vaccinations, Including Influenza Vaccination

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/febrile.htm[04/30/12 04:09:53 PM]

seizure?

Febrile seizures can be frightening for a

child's caregivers and parents, but

nearly all children who have a febrile

seizure recover quickly and are healthy afterwards. Most

children (greater than 90%) who have a febrile seizure will not

go on to develop epilepsy. Genetic factors (i.e., family history)

and other factors such as cerebral palsy, history of delayed

development, or other neurological abnormalities increase a

child’s chance for developing epilepsy after a febrile seizure.

Who is most at risk for febrile seizures?

Febrile seizures are not uncommon. About 2-5% of young

children will have at least one febrile seizure, generally

associated with an illness, and 1 in 3 children who have one

febrile seizure will have at least one more febrile seizure during

childhood. Most febrile seizures occur in children between the

ages of 6 months and 5 years. The peak age is 14–18 months,

which overlaps with the ages when first doses of the MMRV,

MMR, and varicella vaccines are recommended. Children in this

age group are recommended to receive influenza vaccination

annually and some may also be receiving the 4th dose of

PCV13 vaccine. A child who has already had a febrile seizure is

more likely to have another one. Also if a member of a child's

immediate family (a brother, sister, or parent) has had febrile

seizures, that child is more likely to have a febrile seizure.

Is there an increased risk for febrile seizures

after childhood vaccines?

CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continually

monitor the safety of vaccines recommended for adults and

children. This includes monitoring to see whether, and how

frequently, vaccines are associated with febrile seizures.

Studies have shown that there is a small increased risk for

febrile seizures during the first to second week after

vaccination with measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine and

the first dose of measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella

(MMRV) vaccine. DTP (whole cell pertussis) vaccine is no longer

used in the United States, but when it was in use there was

also a small increased risk for febrile seizures after DTP on the

day the vaccine was given. Studies have not shown an

increased risk for febrile seizures after the acellular pertussis

vaccine, DTaP, or after varicella (chickenpox) vaccine.

During the past year, there was enhanced focus on monitoring

for febrile seizures after influenza vaccine because in Australia,

during the 2010 Southern Hemisphere influenza season, one

Australian influenza vaccine was found to increase the chance

of febrile seizures in young children who received it. Because of

this finding in Australia, this brand of vaccine is not

recommended for children in the United States. CDC and FDA,

in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Immunization

Practices (ACIP), have reviewed vaccine safety data on febrile

seizures in the United States following 2010-11 inactivated

influenza (flu) and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV 13) vaccines.

CDC conducted studies through its Vaccine Safety Datalink that

followed more than 200,000 children 6 months through 4 years

of age. The analyses showed that febrile seizures following flu

and PCV 13 vaccines given at different visits to this age group

did occur, but were rare. The febrile seizures were most

common in children ages 12 through 23 months when the two

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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Febrile Seizures Following Childhood Vaccinations, Including Influenza Vaccination

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/febrile.htm[04/30/12 04:09:53 PM]

vaccines were given during the same healthcare visit. In this

group, about one additional febrile seizure occurred among

every 2,000 to 3,000 children vaccinated.

Further investigation is underway by CDC to determine the

contribution, if any, of other childhood vaccines to febrile

seizures. CDC and FDA will continue to monitor the safety of all

recommended vaccines and will provide additional information

as it becomes available.

What are the benefits of timely childhood

vaccination?

Getting all age-appropriate recommended childhood vaccines

during each healthcare visit has important benefits. On-time

vaccinations keep children protected against many infectious

diseases, and providing multiple vaccinations in a healthcare

visit minimizes the number of healthcare visits that parents,

caregivers, and children must make. Timely vaccination will

prevent febrile seizures by protecting young children against

measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, influenza, pneumococcal

infections and other diseases which can cause fever and febrile

seizures. In addition, vaccination protects children against more

severe illness from vaccine preventable diseases, which may

result in doctor office and emergency room visits or

hospitalization.

After thoroughly evaluating the available information, CDC has

determined that no changes in the childhood immunization

schedule are necessary at this time. There is flexibility in the

immunization schedule to accomplish on-time completion of

recommended childhood vaccinations.

Can febrile seizures after childhood

vaccinations be prevented?

In general, febrile seizures cannot be prevented. Medicines

such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen can lower fevers in

children. However, there is no evidence from scientific studies

that these fever-reducing medicines will prevent febrile seizures

in children. Aspirin and aspirin containing products should not

be used to reduce fever in children because of the increased

risk for Reye syndrome . To avoid choking, children should not

be given medication or anything else by mouth during a

seizure.

Can febrile seizures after any childhood

vaccination be reported to CDC and FDA?

Anyone can report an adverse event following vaccination to

the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) . The

National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) requires health

care providers to report any adverse event that is listed by the

vaccine manufacturer as being a contraindication (reason for

not giving the child any further doses of the vaccine). The

NCVIA also requires health care providers to report any adverse

event that is listed in the VAERS Table of Reportable Events

Following Vaccination [75 KB, 5 pages] if that event occurs

within a specified time period after the child is vaccinated.

Health care providers are encouraged to report clinically

significant adverse events that follow immunization to VAERS

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CDC - Seasonal Influenza (Flu) - Questions and Answers - Febrile Seizures Following Childhood Vaccinations, Including Influenza Vaccination

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/febrile.htm[04/30/12 04:09:53 PM]

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even if they are unsure whether the event was caused by

vaccine.

There are three ways to report events to VAERS:

Submit an online form via the VAERS secure web site; or

Fax a completed VAERS form to 877-721-0366; or

Mail a completed VAERS form to VAERS, P.O. Box 1100,

Rockville, MD 20849-1100.

A VAERS form [99 KB, 2 pages] may be downloaded from

the VAERS web site. A VAERS form may also be requested by

sending an e-mail to info@vaers.org, by calling toll-free 800-

822-7967, or by sending a faxed request to 877-721-0366. For

additional information on VAERS or vaccine safety, visit the

VAERS web site or call 800-822-7967.

Where can I learn more about febrile seizures?

To learn more about febrile seizures, visit the following sites:

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute

of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Febrile Seizures

Information Page

The American Academy of Pediatrics healthy children

website, which offers additional information about febrile

seizures.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA

800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) TTY: (888) 232-6348, New Hours of Operation 8am-8pm

ET/Monday-Friday

Closed Holidays - cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Page last reviewed: September 6, 2011

Page last updated: October 4, 2011

Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

(NCIRD)

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