15 May 2026

Key points

  • Fever may appear within 72 hours of an inactivated vaccine.
  • A measured temperature of 38°C or above is a fever, and the antipyretic your doctor has directed can then be given.
  • How to give it: draw the syrup up with the dropper, ease it slowly into the corner of the baby’s mouth, then offer a little warm water.
  • Take the temperature again four hours later. If the fever persists, repeat the dose. If two doses in a row do not bring it down, seek a doctor’s help.
  • If the baby is hot but not yet feverish, a cooling patch helps. Buy the infant version rather than the adult one — the formulation differs. Besides the forehead, the back of the neck and the lower back also lose heat readily.