The Hows and Whys of Baby Vaccines

Will the shots hurt my child?

In truth, some shots -- like the combined MMR vaccine -- are more painful than others. Some pediatricians suggest giving an infant a dose of acetaminophen or ibuprofen after baby is weighed at the beginning of the visit. (It takes at least 30 minutes for pain medicine to work.) Even if the pain reliever doesn't kick in in time, it can help with the pain or slight fever (up to 101 degrees F.) that some babies experience afterward.