To not want DS to have all 4 jabs at once?

[InMemoryOfSleep]

My DS has just turned 1, and so he's due his vaccinations next week. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of asking your local GP surgery to not give all 4 jabs at once - maybe two one week and two a week or two later? I'm just worried that if he has all four he'll be so sore afterwards, and he's a side sleeper (when he does sleep ) so he won't be able to roll on either side! I feel like I wouldn't have 4 injections at once as an adult, so I'm not too keen to put my DS through it either. Or AIBU and it's just better to just get it out of the way all in one go?

I wasn't keen on this either. I can't remember which jabs they were (6 years ago now), but we did 2 on that visit and the next one/two a couple of weeks later. You are completely within your rights to request this, but the nurse is likely to try to talk you out of it (as happened with me).

YABU and PFB. It takes about a minute or two to do all the jabs.

Better to just do them all at once than have the hassle and drama of going repeatedly, surely?
Unless you love drama.

I would get it all out of the way to be honest. It's not pleasant but it's over quickly, and I don't think it makes them that sore.

We did the same as soslow and spread them across 2 appointments.

Our nurse tried to talk us out of it too but we insisted.

I did the same, 2 one visit and 2 later. Think it's fairly common and hv will advise which to get together and which to get first.

Vaccinations are entirely voluntary so of course you can ask.
Your surgery, if they are any good, will be very happy indeed to help you schedule the jabs so that you and your child are as comfortable as possible.
Try not to worry about it too much though.

If it's the thought of him being sore afterwards then its best to get it out of the way in one go, surely?

Absolutely ask.

@roamingespadrille to be honest I didn't find his last jabs caused that much 'hassle and drama' - surgery is just down the road and nurses are lovely. It's just unpleasant, and it's more the potential soreness afterwards I'm concerned about.

My DD didn't appear to be sore afterwards and any redness goes down really quickly. Why not ask for them to be done on the first appointment for the day to allow maximum time for any redness to disappear? Abit of calpol too and they won't feel anything after the jabs.

Definitely better to just get it done - honestly, it's fine.

Agree with Grimbles, if it's the after effects you are worried about then why subject DC to them twice?

For those who spread them over two appointments - did you find it tougher when you went back for the second lot, did your DC remember?

My ds wasn't sore after his 1 year jabs. Best off to get it over and done with in one go.

Side effects = soreness (sorry I realise op didn't mention side effects per se)

@Crunchymum I just feel like one side being sore is manageable (or just arms or legs) but all four is a bit much!

Why would you want him to go through it twice?

Taken from the NHS Guidelines:

Single vaccines are less safe than MMR because they leave children vulnerable to dangerous diseases for longer. Giving 3 separate doses at spaced out intervals would mean that, after the first injection, the child still has no immunity to the other 2 diseases.

With the combined MMR most children are given good protection by a single dose given at about 12-15 months and protection is virtually complete by dose 2, a pre-school booster to catch children whose first dose didn’t stimulate a full immune response.

My adult brother caught measles when he was a TA in 2002 at the height of people taking separate vaccines due to the 'scandal'. He very nearly died and was in hospital for months.

After investigations from the Infectious Diseases team, one of his pupils was a carrier of measles but was having the sepearate vaccines and hadn't got round to the measles one yet.

It is your choice but please consider all consequences even if not directly associated with your child. Besides, surely dragging out the vaccines and more repeated visits is unfair?

Thanks for this @KittyVonCatsington, but I'm not considering single vaccines - just 2 of the 4 they're due at a time, rather than all 4 at once. So for example the combined MMR then another booster, then then next two at the next visit.

For those who spread them over two appointments - did you find it tougher when you went back for the second lot, did your DC remember?

I didn't do this, but I really do think it would be better to just get it done.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but my sister is a GP nurse so does tonnes of jabs each week and she says that by far the worst ones to do are the ones where the parents are stressing as it totally rubs off on the kids and it's all very dramatic.

I do get where you are coming from (I cried when DS had his first ever jabs) but its definitely best to just get it over and done with.

I would get it over with in one go seems worse to me to put him through it twice. My experience was the 1 year jags ds was more aware of what was happening I wouldn't want him having the shock of the jags more than once.

With the NHS under the pressure it is, it seems a bit unfair to take up two appointments rather than one just to avoid a bit of soreness.

Also it's quite common for travel clinics to give you 4 or 5 injections at once (not really relevant - just referring to your first post about adults not getting 4 injections at once).

Thanks @Edsheeranalbumparty but I promise I'm cool as a cucumber when he's having them done, I'm so careful not to get him more worked up - I am the master of the rictus grin and sing song voice I'm leaning more towards just getting them out of the way altogether, but I was just interested in people's experiences and opinions.

@Pigface1 I was trying to remember last time I had travel vaccinations, and I only had two at a time (one in each arm), and they were so bloody sore! That's what got me thinking about DS's jabs.