..to be really worried about baby #3's 8 week injections?

[eggsnmarmite]

So many more then when I had my other two a decade ago. That's so much more aluminum preservative to overload his system. Then there's the Men B which is VERY new and causes most babies to have a fever. Plus the rotavirus one - also new - with gastro side effects.

I'm tempted to put them off for a while or stagger them.

But then what if my baby caught one of this rare illnesses and became ill. I'd never forgive myself.

What are your thoughts Mumsnet?

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

My thoughts are - it is coming up to that time of year when people get sick. Get him immunised. Presumably you are getting worried over anecdata not actual medical reports you have read and fully understood?

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

And congrats btw!

[scarednoob]

My thoughts are non medical. Trust the doctors who have spent their entire lives researching these things!

[WhatWouldLeslieKnopeDo]

Some information about aluminium in vaccines here

The amount of aluminium present in vaccines is extremely small - less than 2 milligrams of the salts, and less than a milligram of actual aluminium. After vaccination there is a temporary increase in the amount of aluminium in the body, but this is not a lasting effect. The body gets rid of most of the aluminium in just a few days. There is no evidence that this causes any risk to babies and children. Aluminium is a very common metal in the environment, and it is also found naturally in breast milk, formula milk, some foods and drinking water. Small amounts therefore accumulate naturally in children’s bodies.
Two studies from 2002 and 2011 compared the impact of aluminium from diet and vaccines in infants. Both of these found that the total amount of aluminium absorbed from both sources is significantly less than the recommended safe maximum amount.

The other way to look at there being more is that this baby will be protected from more diseases.

[peneleope82]

I understand your concern but babies are given these vaccinations at the earliest possible time to protect them at the earliest possible time.

And their immune systems are more than capable of coping with them as per the NHS schedule. There's no scientifically proven benefit to splitting them although I suspect you'll hear a lot of anecdotes.

[ByTheNine]

If you want some positive anecdata, my baby had her 8 week jabs last Wednesday and was absolutely fine - bit warm overnight but nothing significant. Stop fretting and crack on.

[Rollonbedtime7pm]

Yep, mine too (fairly recently) - slight fever from MenB but fine!

Also, i'm sure my DS and DD both had a rota virus immunisation and both were over 4 years ago?!

[WinchesterWoman]

Wrt to Leslie's information: aluminium does not behave in the body the same way if it's ingested, eaten (or drunk I guess) - or injected. Different outcomes. So you can't compare aluminium in vaccines with aluminium in foods and milk.

I delayed the baby vaccines with two of mine. They didn't have men. or rotavirus.

[Me624]

My DS had no side effects from any of the three sets of jabs at all. Gave him the 3 doses of calpol as advised for the men B jab, but he didn't have a temp so might not have needed them.

Never heard of aluminium concerns.

Get your baby vaccinated.

[WinchesterWoman]

OP - none of the people ordering you to engage in a medical intervention with your child will be around to help if something goes wrong. Nor will the government - no compensation for vaccine injury under the age of two. The decision is yours, and yours alone.

[WhoseBadgerIsThis]

Don't worry in the slightest - a baby's immune system deals with more things in the everyday environment than in any vaccine. A vaccine is just a few things whereas a good lungful of air is 1000s if not 1000000s :) The preservative is fine too. Sadly many of the diseases these vaccines protect against aren't that rare, so don't take the risk of not vaccinating.

[WhoseBadgerIsThis]

and that's not true about the compensation either - you can claim for injury caused before the age of two, you just have to wait until they are two years old to claim: www.gov.uk/vaccine-damage-payment/eligibility

[ncayley115]

Our lb now 20 months was OK with most. We paid £450 for him to have the three men b jabs privately as it wasn't available on the NHS last year. He was pretty ill after the first 2 doses but was fine with the third. And he's had the chicken pox vaccine as part of a medical trial. Better vaccinate than be seriously ill with meningitis b. Do it!

[Hefezopf]

I was always slightly nervous about vaccines but did all the recommended ones. Definitely understand your concern. But, having witnessed the effect of a vaccine-preventable disease on a friend's baby, would no longer hesitate for a second (baby was infected by unvaxed older children, was extremely and very dangerously ill but luckily recovered).

[TyrannosauraRegina]

The 5-in-1 vaccine was introduced on the NHS 12 years ago. Your older children will have received the exact same vaccine as your baby is about to get.

[BlurtonOnKites4eva]

If you want anecdata my DD has had the three sets in the last year and she was fine after all of them. She didn't even have a temp after the Men b's.

The aluminium worries seem like a massive pile of shite to me, it just seems to be mad American blogs that are scaremongering about the Al preservative. Have never read anything negative about them from a reputable source.

How would you feel if your unvaxxed child infected someone who was medically unable to have the vaccines so was reliant on herd immunity?

[WinchesterWoman]

Also there has to be severe disability (60 %) as a result of the vaccine, for a maximum payment of 120K. If the child dies as a result of a vaccine they must have lived to be at least two years old for a claim to be made. Sorry for the brutal language - I can't work out how to word it otherwise.

[TyrannosauraRegina]

Rotarix is 10 years old, and Bexsero (the Meningitis B vaccine) was licensed over 3 years ago - they seem new because the NHS only recently added them to the routine schedule. Literally millions of doses of each have been given worldwide.

Why are you worried about "new" vaccines, anyway? Newer vaccines tend to have a lower dose of the virus/bacteria, thus producing less severe side effects than older vaccines - think of the smallpox vaccine and BCG vs the average side effects of the 5-in-1!

[CPtart]

Benefits outweigh possible risks. Massively. Babies immune systems copes with thousands more bacteria every day, simply by touching the world around them and sticking their hands in their mouth. Get them done together, it's kinder too.
Men B is only new in this country (cost implications). It's been given across the world for years. But do give the calpol as advised afterwards.

[Bringmewineandcake]

My DD had her first lot 6 weeks ago and had no reaction at all, other than bring understandably upset at 3 injections! Do follow the advice on calpol tho to avoid a potential fever.

[WinchesterWoman]

Just to stress: again, putting things in their mouths is different to an injection.

[GoofyTheHero]

DD2 is 15 months and was one of the first to get the men B jab. She's now had her 8, 12 and 16 week injections plus MMR (which now was a men B booster too) and hasn't reacted to a single one. No temperature or anything.
Give the calpol as recommended.
And congrats on your baby!

[WinchesterWoman]

It's advised less and less to give Calpol around vaccinations.

[WinchesterWoman]

Although I don't know about Men B and Calpol - maybe there's different advice with this vaccine.

[peneleope82]

It is advised completely to go be calpol with the men b vaccination.