6-month-old had unusual reaction after Bexsero — looking for similar experiences before 2nd dose
Hi everyone, I’m hoping to hear from other parents who may have experienced something similar.
My 6-month-old had her first Bexsero (MenB) vaccine, and within about an hour we noticed red/purple spots and blotches appearing under the skin on her legs. Over the following hours they became progressively worse. She also developed a fever and was very fussy.
We were advised to attend urgent care multiple times as things progressed, and we saw several doctors. Every doctor who examined her in person agreed that what we were seeing was not a typical rash. Different possibilities were discussed, including thrombocytopenia (which was ruled out) and an allergic reaction, but nobody could give us a definite explanation.
The spots eventually disappeared, but it took around two weeks.
Our vaccine nurse, who stayed involved throughout the whole experience, submitted an IMAC query. She has worked with vaccines for around 40 years and told us she'd never seen or heard of a reaction like this.
Unfortunately, the IMAC/CARMS responses were quite unsatisfactory. They repeatedly referred to it as a “rash,” despite the doctors who actually examined her saying it wasn't a rash. Other explanations included me possibly having consumed dairy because of her dairy allergy, and our ethnicity being mentioned in relation to measles risk. I also felt like my concerns were being treated as though I was anti-vaccine, which I'm absolutely not.
Now we're facing the decision about her second Bexsero dose. I absolutely want her protected against MenB, but after such a strange and prolonged reaction, I don't feel comfortable proceeding without understanding what happened.
I know Reddit can't tell me whether she should have another dose, but I'm really hoping to hear from parents who've had unusual reactions to Bexsero or other vaccines, particularly red/purple spots or blotches under the skin.
What would you do if your child had a reaction that multiple doctors couldn't explain, and the follow-up investigation essentially gave you no answers?
I'm not anti-vax at all — I just want to make an informed decision and feel confident that I'm doing the safest thing for my daughter. ❤️