Can I child get their vaccinations if they are sick?

What the evidence says

Yes, in most cases your child can still get their shots even if they have a cold, a mild cough, an ear infection, or a low fever. According to Canada's official immunization guide, mild illness does not raise the risk of side effects and does not stop the vaccine from working properly.

Doctors call this a 'mild illness' when a child has things like a runny nose, cough, mild diarrhea, or a low-grade fever, but is otherwise acting fairly normal. The Canadian Paediatric Society specifically lists having or recovering from a cold, cough, or diarrhea without fever as situations where a child can still be vaccinated.

The advice changes for moderate or serious illness. If your child seems quite unwell, has a high fever, or you're worried something bigger is going on, it may be better to wait until they recover, mainly so new symptoms aren't confused with vaccine side effects. Your doctor or nurse will always check how your child is doing before giving any shot.

There is one special case: the flu vaccine that's sprayed up the nose, called FluMist. If a child has a very stuffy nose, the spray might not reach where it needs to go to work well. In that situation, providers often use the flu shot instead of the nasal spray.

Taking antibiotics also does not need to delay vaccines. If your child is sick and has a vaccine appointment coming up, it's fine to ask the doctor or nurse to weigh in when you arrive, but you usually do not need to cancel just because of a cold or mild fever.