3 Year Old, Low Grade Fever After Flu Shot. Is He Contagious 4 Play Date?

Updated on September 10, 2011
S.B. asks from Los Angeles, CA
10 answers

Hi moms. My son got the flu shot yesterday and today he has a 100.2 fever but seems fine otherwise. I'm wondering if I should cancel his playdate for later today and if he is contagious? I would never want to risk getting another kid sick! I'm going to call the other mom and see what she feels comfortable doing, but I was just curious to find out if he is contagious. Thanks.

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C.W.

answers from Indianapolis on

The fever IS NOT from the flu shot, he was coming down with something already and more than likely it's viral. So, yes he is contagious

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K.A.

answers from San Diego on

It's typically believed that if you have a fever you're contagious. It's possible he was already coming down with something unrelated to the flu shot and it's now showing symptoms. It could just be a coincedence that it manifested after the flu shot.
I personally would cancel the playdate for today and reschedule. Your son may not really feel like playing anyway because of the fever. I would hate to accidently make a playmate sick with something.

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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Regardless of whether or not I felt my child was contagious I would cancel if he had a fever. You don't know if it's from the shot or he's getting sick.

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K..

answers from Phoenix on

I would cancel. You don't know, at this point, what the fever is really from.

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R.M.

answers from Topeka on

First of all...the flu shot did NOT cause the fever...the virus in the flu shot is dead...not alive...it cannot cause someone to get sick...no matter what someone claims!
Second...if your child is running a fever I would not take him on a play date just as a matter of common courtesy to the other family also because he really isn't going to be at his best and enjoy himself.
Call the other Mom and reschedule...she will understand and appreciate it

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

I personally wouldn't take my kids out to a play date with a low grade fever...

In my opinion - anything over "normal" for your son is considered fighting something - flu shot or not - and therefore contagious...

I wouldn't go.

GOOD LUCK!

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Like Bridgett B said; it's PROBABLY just his immune system kicking in and creating the antibodies needed (you really *want* a lowgrade fever and aches after your first vax to any illness... it's a sign your immune system is working). When you get vax'd your immune system kicks in, so you may feel sick, even though you're not (most of feeling sick is feeling your immune system working). The virus is dead, you don't get sick from flu shots, but your immune system kicks into overdrive to create those antibodies/ "fight" the infection, even though they're not breeding, they still have to locate, tag, create antibodies, and store the 'blueprint' for those antibodies.

HOWEVER, it's very possible that he's coming down with something ELSE.

So just to be safe, I'd skip it. Fever gone by tomorrow; it was just his immune system kicking in. Gets sick by tomorrow, he's caught something else.

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E.S.

answers from Dayton on

Yes, cancel it!
We don't expose others to our feverish children.
I would hope others are just as courteous.

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J.I.

answers from San Antonio on

I'd skip it. 100.2 is low grade? I'd say 99.something would be low-grade. But maybe I'm wrong. If I was the playdate mom, I'd not want my kid around yours b/c even if it is just his immune system working, it could be something else contagious that he caught in the waiting room or from the grocery store earlier this past week. I'd reschedule.

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B.B.

answers from Missoula on

I disagree with the other posts, a low grade fever is most likely his immune system kicking in after his flu shot and its unlikely he is contagious, but I would probably let the other mom make the call about cancelling.

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