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Junior Infants MMR & 4:1 Vaccinations

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  • 28-01-2014 8:25pm
    #1
    Choochacha
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭


    Hi All

    I have tried to research this today with little success. As I believe this has just been adopted this year, there is probably little information out there.

    My 5yr old son started baby infants this year. In summer, prior to him starting school, I took him to our GP for his pre school jab. I was told that the vaccination programme was no longer taking place in the GP surgery and that he would be given the required vaccinations in school.

    Today I received a note / consent form from school. They want to give all the JI's the MMR vaccine (measles / mumps / rubella) and the 4:1 vaccine (diphtheria / polio / tetanus / whooping cough) in the same hour on the same day.

    I am a little concerned that so many vaccinations could overwhelm his little body! If he has some kind of reaction to the vaccinations, how will they know which one has caused a problem?

    I'm not sure I should consent to this? Perhaps just going with the MMR and then having the 4:1 a few weeks later would be a better idea? I don't want my son to caused any illness or discomfort, due to a cost saving "do it all at once" measure by the HSE.

    Also my other older kids did not have these additional vaccinations. Are they protected?

    Lots of questions I know, thank you for your responses in advance.
    Tagged:


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    #2
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    He would have had different vaccines at the same time when he was younger too with the immunisation schedule.

    I certainly remember my little one getting two injections at at least one appointment.

    As it is, if you only get the one vaccination done there won't be a chance to get the second one done because they don't do them at the GP any longer (not in my area and not in your area as it seems, some areas you can still get it done at the GP) and they won't come back to the school a second time in the year.


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    #3
    Moonbeam
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,953 Mod ✭✭✭✭Moonbeam


    we got it home yesterday,
    It is no worse then giving the baby 3 in one day.
    I think they will be fine:) they will be all brave around their friends!!


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    #4
    RubyGirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭RubyGirl


    Mine got both on the same day. I had to go into the school when they were getting the jab's to be with your child. Maybe if you think it to much for him, just take him home after the jab.


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    #5
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    RubyGirl wrote: »
    Mine got both on the same day. I had to go into the school when they were getting the jab's to be with your child. Maybe if you think it to much for him, just take him home after the jab.

    We weren't allowed in with our kids because apparently they tend to be a bit of a chicken around mammy/daddy and brave in front of their friends.

    It turns out my daughter didn't get hers yet though because there was a mix up with her paper work, it went in with the older kids. She'll be called to a 'mop up' clinic in a few months to get it instead.


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    #6
    RubyGirl
    Registered Users Posts: 1,275 ✭✭✭RubyGirl


    Ya we had to or they would not be done. Strange.


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    #7
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    As said above, multiple vaccines at the same time is the norm. There are some good papers on multiple vaccinations around. One by Paul Offit is here. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11773551

    In the unlikely event of a reaction (seeing as these are all boosters, he has had them before anyway) it doesn't really matter which caused the reaction, as the treatment for an allergic reaction is the same whatever causes it.


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    #8
    Choochacha
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭Choochacha


    Thanks for all your replies, the link to the paper was very informative.

    I'm still a little dubious about all 7 in one day. I think I am going to go with my gut instinct on this and let him have the MMR only.

    The treatment for an allergic reaction may be standard regardless of cause, but I feel it would be any parents wish to know what exactly their child is allergic to.

    I will arrange the 4:1 for later, even if I have to pay for it, it will give me peace of mind.

    Thanks again.;)


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    #9
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    The allergy could as easily be to something in the adjuvent or the excipients (the material that the virus sits in) rather than the virus itself though. And most of those are the same across a lot of vaccines. So, you're not really going to be any wiser if there is a reaction I'm afraid.

    Just on the 7 vs 4. There are millions of viruses floating in the air around us every day. We are exposed to all of these on a daily basis just by breathing, and our immune system deals with them all. The difference between 1,000,004 and 1,000,007 virus exposures is pretty tiny in the daily scheme of things.


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    #10
    IvyTheTerrible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,949 ✭✭✭✭IvyTheTerrible


    Choochacha wrote: »
    Thanks for all your replies, the link to the paper was very informative.

    I'm still a little dubious about all 7 in one day. I think I am going to go with my gut instinct on this and let him have the MMR only.

    The treatment for an allergic reaction may be standard regardless of cause, but I feel it would be any parents wish to know what exactly their child is allergic to.

    I will arrange the 4:1 for later, even if I have to pay for it, it will give me peace of mind.

    Thanks again.;)
    Over here, babies get seven vaccines in one day on a couple of occasions. My son had no/very little side effects (slightly elevated temperature on one occasion). I think it's better to get them when scheduled unless it's really not possible as they can then slip through the cracks later on and be at risk.


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    #11
    DM addict
    Registered Users Posts: 567 ✭✭✭DM addict


    Providing you've kept up to date with vaccinations, your child will already have been given a six-in-one, and as has been said all these are boosters, so there's really no chance of him reacting to them.

    I understand your concerns, but I'd suggest keeping up with the schedule. If you're worried, give your GP a call or talk to a PHN for advice.


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    #12
    wolfpawnat
    Registered Users Posts: 6,124 ✭✭✭wolfpawnat


    I have a 6 month old getting 3 injections on monday, and my JI boy getting his boosters on Wednesday, great week in this house this week :D No seriously, I would just get it done and over with, if they are going to get fevers and the like, better for them to only get it once than twice.


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    #13
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,862 ✭✭✭✭January


    They must have been reading this thread because on Wednesday I got a call from the vaccinations nurse and a letter in the post Friday calling us for a mop up clinic at the end of February. I did stress that I would like her to have had her boosters before she goes for her open heart surgery in the Summer though so that probably helped a bit too.


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    #14
    Choochacha
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭Choochacha


    Hope all goes well with the surgery. Not an easy thing to go through, wishing you the very best.


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