Vaccinations after Bone Marrow Transplant

These instructions are for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) patients who have received a bone marrow transplant and are scheduled for vaccinations at their upcoming appointment.

Important information:

You will receive CDC Vaccine Information Sheets at your child's vaccination visit to learn more about each vaccine and potential side effects.

Instructions:

• Do not give your child fever reducing medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or Ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®), before vaccinations or within 4 hours after vaccinations.

  • Fever reducing medicines decrease the effectiveness of vaccines.

  • Fever reducing medicines do not reduce the risk of developing a fever after vaccinations.

• Apply ice/cold-packs to the site of injection to help with pain and swelling.

• Give acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) for pain after vaccination, as long as your child does not have a fever and it has been more than 4 hours since the vaccination.

  • Check a temperature before giving your child acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

• Your child may have a fever after receiving vaccinations. Since your child had a bone marrow transplant, it is important to call the Oncology Phone Nurse with any fever.

• Call 911 and go to the nearest emergency department if your child is having difficulty breathing, dizziness, behavior changes, or has swelling of the face or throat

Call CHOP oncology team with any questions or concerns or if your child has:

• Redness or swelling gets worse or does not go away within 2 days after your child received their vaccinations

• Fever of 101.3°F (38.5°C) once, or 100.4°F (38°C ) three times in a 24-hour period, taken at least 2 hours apart

Oncology Contact Information

Reviewed on March 1, 2022, by Anne Wohlschlaeger, MSN, RN, CRNP