to make my 18mth old have his mmr next week no matter what?

[Portlyposh]

He should have had it close to his first birthday. We have had SEVEN attempts at getting it done and each time he's been refused because he's had a cough, a cold and a temp. He has asthma and does seem to catch everything going but I'm getting really jumpy about him not having this! His two siblings have had it, and I'm keen he should too, despite being a bit sickly! Unless he's got a high temp I think he should have it this week. AIBU to politely but firmly request? (wouldn't insist, that's rude!)

If they are poorly they cant give it It really is a precaution It must be fustrating for you but fingers crossed he doesnt even sniff next week when he goes,

You need to make sure he is 100% when he has it for his own good. I understand you want it done ASAP but it really is safer to wait until he is well.

How sickly is he? Just wait until the day, see how he is then, no?

It is safer for your child to have it when they are well, especially as in children with Asthma a cough can develop in to something worse - speaking as a mum of a son with asthma who was hospitalised with a viral wheeze.
The risks of having MMR when ill are higher.
My advice would be to ask a GP to check him over prior to the immunisation to be sure he is well, or ask that you are able to book it last minute?
At our surgery we can book it next day a lot of the time, which reduces the chance of needing to cancel.
I understand your worries, believe me, my son is 2 and a half and is yet to have his MMR as the Drs (GP and consultant) can't agree on whether it is safe for DS to have at all due to allergies. I am worried constantly that he will catch one of them. BUT I know the risks could be worse if I force the matter and give it him regardless.
I am tempted to bang the Dr's heads together till they research it fully and agree!

It would be highly irresponsible of you to insist on him having it if he's unwell - and the nurse would refuse anyway.

No need for you to panic about it. The implications of children not having this are significant in a societal way, not necessarily individually - if you see what I mean. As long as he gets it in due course then all will be well.

Do understand your frustration though.

Doctors/ nurses usually don't turn away patients for no reason. They wanted to vaccinate my DD when she was snotty, coughy, etc. Clearly you DC was not well enough to be vaccinate so YABU.

I would leave the decision over whether he is well enough to be immunised at that time to a medically-trained professional, particularly as asthma is a factor.

i think they're exercising reasonable caution, esp cos of his asthma, but i bet you should ask to space the appt closer to this one, if he's too poorly to have it this time.
it shouldn't take more than a week to get over a cold, but 2 weeks would be a sensible gap.
if they leave it too long inbetween, he's more likely to be ill again.

Don't be irresponsible. Medical professionals are better equipped to make this decision, and they shouldn't be rail-roaded (even 'gently') into changing their opinion that your DS should not be given the jab.

I'm trying to get it clear in my head which is a greater risk - his not being vaccinated, or being vaccinated when under the weather and getting more ill. Ok, so he has to be 100% well - ill try and work around that. There's so much pressure to vaccinate - I know a lot of the letters are automated, but I've also had calls from the HV too about it, and I keep saying I'm not making a point, they just seem (excessively to me) very cautious.

I was told unless the child is very very ill with a very high temperature then you go ahead with the jab.

Portlyposh They're probably nervous because of all the idiots parents refusing to vaccinate.

It's tough. Like someone else said, perhaps you should be led by what they say. Take him along and if they refuse again then point out this is the x time and you're concerned about him being unvaccinated.

But the risks to him of being unvaccinated are, I believe, really quite small. It's only when large numbers of kids don't get their jabs that it becomes a problem for the community.

*That's how I understand it, but I'm not a medic. Happy to be proved wrong if someone comes along with more info.

It is likely that the medical staff are cautious about vaccinating an asthmatic child when he has the symptoms of a cold (including a raised temperature) because any side effects from that vaccination (including further cold symptoms) may exacerbate his asthma.

not all parents that do not vacinate are stupid some have very valid reasons

ds (4) was due to have his booster this week but has chicken pox so i cancelled but i was told they would not have given it to him anyway until he has fully recovered (he also has a history of bad reactions with combined injections so i hade made that decision myself, your ds has asthma they may be beign more cautious for this reason)

If you're in an area with high mmr rates, I really wouldn't worry about postponing.

If youre in an area with lower mmr rates, ask if there have been any recent measles cases. It's a notifiable disease so the information should be there. That way you can make an informed choice about risks.

Yabu. Ds2 had it when he, unknowingly, had hand, foot and mouth, it made him so much poorer than he needed to be.

Don't vaccinate if they are ill!!

Speak to your HV, they did my DS's MMR out of the normal vaccination session and may do for you if you've missed it do often.

Dd had her MMR at 21 months for exactly the same reasons - unwell every time before that. Our GPs will actually vaccinate unless absolutely raging temperature but I wouldn't let her be vaccinated unless 100% and also only gave the mmr and she got the other 2 at a separate appointment.

Tbh I don't think there'll be any point, they'll do as they wish.