12 months immunization in british columbia

[MiauMau]

We're in a bit of a pickle and would really love to have an input from any of you lovely ladies in the BC area.
We're going to be moving to Vancouver in the end of February (yay) just as our DS turns 1 (another yay) and I'm wondering where I should go to get him immunized. We could do it here just before we leave, but the thought of a grumpy LO after the vaccines in a 10 hour flight sends shivers down my spine.
So, how can I go about doing it in Vancouver? Will there be any problems with the fact that the immunization schedules in Canada and the UK are different? (i.e kids aren't vaccinated here at 6 months).

[Alligatorpie]

Dd1 was born in Vancouver and dd2 was born in the UK, and I was just looking at their immunization books. The schedules are very similar - in Canada, we do them at 2,4,6,12,18 months. in the UK, it is 8,12,16 weeks, then 12,13 months.
In your situation, I would probably do the 12 month in the UK. I remember it taking a few weeks / even months to get an appointment at a clinic in Vancouver. And as you would need the 13 month one so soon after, you may end up a couple months behind.
There is also insurance issues, you have to be resident in BC for 3 months before you are eligible for MSP - so you will end up paying a fortune for any jabs you get done. (We like to overcharge for everything in BC)
Obviously, I would get the jabs done a few days before you fly. I have done the trip many times, it is way easier when a happy, healthy child.

[madwomanintheattic]

I would just get them done in the UK, tbh. (We moved over when dd1 was 11 mos and I think I did her mmr etc before). In addition she was offered the chicken pox vaccine here, to catch up with what was offered here.

It wasn't a big deal. She spent the entire flight awake and wanting to be walked up and down the aisle in any case, and only fell asleep when we were coming in to land. it's only half a day out of a lifetime.

There was no problem with tallying vaccine history. Just get the printout from the doc as well as carrying red book, and it will be fine. They will just offer anything they consider you have 'missed'.

[MiauMau]

Do you think that I could do it at 11 months? That way it would just be a short flight back home for holidays before jetting off to Vancouver.

[madwomanintheattic]

Call the hv or clinic and ask. Probably depends on the dates of previous vaccs (ie if they were slightly delayed or whatever).

Tbh, it won't really matter much either way. You can always catch up at 15mos after arrival if necessary. It won't make much difference. A couple of months behind is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

[MiauMau]

We're going tomorrow.
by the way, how easy/hard is it to find a gp in Vancouver? Are children followed by gps or paediatricians?

[madwomanintheattic]

Ask on britishexpats - not sure about current gp availability in van.

Two out of three of mine have paed as well as gp, but they all have optional extras that require follow up!

[MiauMau]

Sorry what do you mean by optional extras that require follow up?

[madwomanintheattic]

Oh, just if ds has any ongoing diagnostic work/ developmental issues or whatever, but am guessing not.

[Alligatorpie]

I struggled to find a good gp for dd when in Van. There is a good clinic on Main @ 24th ( irrc) but you have to live in the catchment area. Where are you going to be living?

[MiauMau]

We're thinking Yaletown for now. It's were we're going to be working and we want to be as close as possible to our LO as he's only going to be 1. Can I just share something totally off topic? We just received the boxes to pack our stuff in, it makes our move seem that little bit more real