The most common side effects of interferons used to treat MS are flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, muscle aches, and headaches, which start shortly after someone gets a shot. Your child’s doctor can ease side effects by giving a low dose of the drug at first and increasing it gradually. There are also other medications to relieve some side effects.
The most common side effect of Copaxone, for example, is redness and swelling at the spot where your child gets the shot. Cold packs can help with those problems.