2-month Shots

[Anonymous]

Can anyone PLEASE tell me why a 2-month old baby needs to get 4 shots in ONE visit? Without getting into a debate over the pros and cons of vaccinations, I would just like to know exactly why these shots cants be spaced out over a few visits? It seems like absolutely reckless to subject a tiny little being to so many shots in one go. Even dogs arent subjected to this- they get a combination shot. I am at my wits end trying to understand this and get a straighforward answer from a doctor. We are due with our first very soon and I just want to be informed! Help

[Anonymous]

If you want the direct answer from your doc., as you stated in your post, then ask your doc. Remember, DCUM is a wealth of personal experiences, suggestions, and advice. Not expert or medical facts.

If you have a problem with it, talk to your ped. Perhaps you can space it out - did you think to ask? Can you call the advice nurse?

Either way, don't fret too much. It's hard to see your baby cry, but getting the shots out of the way all at once is easiest. Besides bring the baby back and forth to the doc. office probably exposes him/her to more germs than if you just took care of everything in one visit.

I completely understand though. My DD had to get extra blood work done and the nurse had to draw 4 (!!) tubes full of blood. I started crying myself because DD was screaming and crying so loud, but after lots of snuggling she got over it. We simply didn't have a choice. We could either come in 4 different times (4 co-pays) or just take care of it all in one swoop.

At least babies don't remember - hec, do you remember getting your shots when you were 2 months?

[Anonymous]

I spaced mine out--it wasn't a big deal with the doc either.

[Anonymous]

I am sure you could find a dr. that would space them out if it is that important to you, but I think that most people don't want to have to bring their child back to the dr. for each of these shots. Besides, your child will then get more at 4 months and more at 6 months, so if you space them all out, you would be going back and forth to your dr. a lot. Not saying you can't do it, but I am sure part of the reason they do so many at one time is convenience.

[Anonymous]

You need to look at this big picture. The CDC sets the immunization schedule. They have to think about the welfare of the entire population. Children are more likely to visit the doctor in the first year of life. After that parents get a lot more lax and do not always make their scheduled doctor appointments. It is in the best interest of the population as a whole to have all children vaccinated. It is also in the best interest of the child to receive vaccinations as early as possible so they have protection against illness. Also, there is no concrete study/evidence that indicates the current schedule is "too much" or that multiple shots in one visit is harmful.

If you feel better spacing them out than go for it. I'm sure you can find a doctor that will accomodate you.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am with you. I am due in March and posted a thread recently on how hard it is to find a ped even willing to space shots, let alone delay some of them.

Whether my ped (when I eventually pick one) likes it or not, I do plan to split the 2 month shots between 2 visits (2 months and 3 months) and do the same with the 4 month shots, etc. The nurses love to remind you, "but you'll have to pay an extra co-pay!!" Well, whoop-dee-doo, $15 extra every other month - people spend more than that in a week at Starbucks! Its worth it to me. If in the end it didn't matter, it still made me feel better.

I read Dr. Sears's the vaccine book. I liked it because its still very pro-vaccine, but acknowledged parents concerns and presented an alternative vax schedule that still ultimately gets the baby fully vaxed. I plan to follow his schedule.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I also am due in March and found a Pediatrician who will follow the alternative vax schedule in the Sears book. I understand that we need to think about what is best for the whole population but my job as a parent is to do what I believe to be in the best interest of my child and if I want to limit the toxins (aluminum etc.) that my infant is exposed to while responsibly managing their vaccine schedule then I feel that I have the right to do just that.

[Anonymous]

If I recall correctly - it's four vaccinations but in two shots - a couple are grouped together so the baby actually only gets two physical shots. Mine cried, of course, and it's hard to watch that -- but honestly, she was back to her happy self by the time we were on the elevator leaving the ped's office. I think sometimes we make it worse for them with our own anxiety.

[Anonymous]

We started out separating the shots but quickly realized what a pain in the butt (no pun intended) it would be. Dragging baby to the doctor twice as many times, missing more work, having him have more opportunities to be stuck, etc. etc. Plus, we had to sign a consent form saying that we were agreeing to forgo the recommended schedule as by American Assn of Pediatrics. I also started worrying that maybe he would get the wrong one at the wrong time due to human error. I ended up going with the schedule after the second visit. My Doc, however (Lang), was open to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plus, we had to sign a consent form saying that we were agreeing to forgo the recommended schedule as by American Assn of Pediatrics.

I have never heard of such a thing. We are delaying MMR and Varicella a few months and we were not asked to sign anything. Maybe it's if you plan to alter the entire schedule? We had never delayed or refused a shot before these, so maybe that's why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to look at this big picture. The CDC sets the immunization schedule. They have to think about the welfare of the entire population.

How does delaying shots by 4 weeks affect the entire population?

[Anonymous]

I am one of the PP's above. For me I don't have anxiety about my baby getting "stuck" by the shot. I am concerned about her having an adverse reaction and not knowing which shot caused it or having too many toxins at a time. Common "fillers" and preservatives in infant shots include aluminum and formaldahyde (sp?)

The AAP schedule is somewhat arbitrary and is designed to get the most number of kids vaccinated by reducing the number of visits required. Think about free clinics for low-income families - they'd prefer families to get as many shots in as few visits as possible. For me, I will be at home with the baby and don't consider going to the doc once a month (instead of every other month an inconvenience.)

Its just one of the many instances where you as a parent have to do what you feel comfortable with, and that's all that really matters.

[Anonymous]

Sorry to digress a bit and to hijack the post, but does anyone know if how a baby reacts to her 2-month shots has any correlation with how she reacts to her 4-month shots? Baby reacted OK with the 2-month vaccines, and I'm wondering if the 4-month reaction will likely be the same...

By the way, with our ped, it was 4 shots at the 2-month visit -- 2 shots in each leg, and then an oral rotavirus vaccine.