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?

My lb never suffered after any of his jabs, so we just got them all done at once. We thought that better.
But I'm sure you could ask. But I'd say it's worth remembering that if they thought it would be too much at once, they wouldn't be done all in one go.

I'm with boaty, my DD had 2 in 1 leg, 2 in the other. I'm glad it was like that and would ask for that with next one.

Don't give him calpol for goodness sake - it contains paracetamol.

I was revaccinated at 22 after bone marrow transplants. You're specifically told not to take paracetamol as it can reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. I think it's because it reduces inflammation and the whole point is to cause a reaction which leads to immunity.

**it looks like advice has changed since I had mine. Check with the nurse.

Having now read the current advice - you shouldn't give it just in few as this does reduce effectiveness so ask the nurse. However you should give it for fever.

My ds is 15 months and our Drs surgery surprised me at the 1yr jabs by saying that they would be doing 2 jabs that day and to rebook for 2 weeks later for other 2 jabs, from a hassle point of view I almost asked for them all to be done then and there but went with their suggestion and he sailed through it, and had a much easier ride that his friends who had all 4 done at once. He's a pin cushion though as he's halfway through the CP jabs now.

We did 2 across 2 separate visits, but we delayed them for a few months before having them done.

My little boy was really hit hard by his one year jabs, obviously sore/stiff and exhausted so he slept for about 16 hours in and off afterwards! I was pretty surprised and worried as he'd been fine with previous jabs.

However it wouldn't make me want to split them into two batches another time as I would worry that he would just have to go through that twice. Obviously four jabs in one go are probably worse than two, but who knows by how much and definitely wouldn't have wanted to go through something similar to that a fortnight later.

I'm not sure I see it as time 'wasted', if you're doing what you feel is best for your child. We barely ever go to the doctors, so I wouldn't feel guilty for using an extra time slot if I felt it would be better for my DS

Totally agree. Don't let people guilt-trip you. The people who make appointments and don't turn up waste far more NHS appointments.

I spilt for my Dd's 1yr and preschool boosters. And I plan to split for dd2's 1yr when the come. I don't like putting 4 different cocktails of vaccinations into their systems all in one day. I'm not anti-vax and j didn't spilt the mmr. They're fully up to date with their vaccinations. I do object to having to give them so many at once. I would as an adult as well (including travel I'd book severally appointment as needed). I just don't see why you'd put 4 different foreign liquids into their system all at once. Spread them out give their bodies time to take each one and also easier then to let any side effects be seen and linked to particular vaccinations (mine have never had any side effects or even injection site soreness). I'm aware there is no medical benefit to splitting them but feel strongly that I would anyway. Complete personal preference and I don't feel I'm wasting nhs time in doing what feels right for my children. I don't take them to doctor often (no need to) never miss appointments etc. If I had my way I'd split all 4 but it does seem excessive so I'd just spilt its two lots of two.

My son seems to get all of the side effects to all the jabs. Vomiting, rash, fever, irritability, lack of appetite etc. I always split them out because i'm worried about how bad he would be with all of them at once.

I'm considering spitting the men b vaccine from the other three. It made DD very feverish for a couple of days at 8 and 16 weeks, the 12 week ones were fine in comparison. It also looked sore for ages. I've read that a fever is more likely if it's given alongside other vaccinations. Can't decide whether it's better just to get them all over with at once!

We also want to vaccinate against chickenpox and I don't know how to fit that in, poor DD could be getting vaccinations on four separate occasions, as two are required for chickenpox.

It was only the MMR that caused side effects for DD, I guess because the others she'd had before and the MMR is a live virus. She was fine until a week later then her temp went through the roof and she was sick for 3 days.

She isn't being PFB! I did this with dc3 and I know others that have too.

He's not going to remember!
Just get it over with. They don't all make them sore.
You'll probably feel worse than him
Don't give him calpol for goodness sake - it contains paracetamol.
And? That's what docs have advised All my friends and family's little ones to use when they were vaccinated

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

I'm in agreement with the above. Even if it's a clinic without specific appointments it costs them money to lay that clinic on. If everyone was as PFB as you are being they would need to put on twice as many clinics to accommodate everyone.

Just get it done. Some of us were born before the MMR was available as an option and have been left permanently disabled as a result - in my case I am deaf and suffer crippling migraines.

I had my MMR as soon as it was licenced in the UK (in fact, I've had it 3 times now - voluntarily), but the damage was done and I was already deaf and had almost lost my life to meningitis thanks to rubella.

Personally I'd rather my DS was a little sore than go through what I did as a small child.

I split the vaccines, nurse was fine with it. Only because DD suffered heavy side effects with her last immunisations. It's horrible to have 4 at once, and IMO 2jabs per visit makes then quick and easy to digest both as a parent as as a child. Do what you feel comfortable with.

Soreness is a very silly reason to space vaccinations. I understand for people whose children have serious side effects like high fever, rash, vomiting, etc but having an achy thigh for a few hours? Just get it over and done with.

DD is a side sleeper and after her 18 month jabs she said "leg ouch" a few times but still slept fine and played as normal throughout the day. I think you're overworrying about this OP.

My twins got their jabs in the US and their pediatrician recommended spreading them out. The first visit he gave one twin two of the jabs and the other twin the other two jabs and the next visit swapped them over. His reasoning was that if they had ill effects from one of them then at least only one twin would be sick at any one time. I was still in a bit of a haze and just went along with it. It was actually a bit of a nightmare, instead of one day when they were a bit grouchy I had two days a week or two apart and they were both really reluctant on the second one (this was the nightmare bit!).

If I did it again (and I won't!) I'd get it all over with o the one visit. But I'm generally keener on getting things over with in one go rather than aiming for a gentler but longer negative experience and people really differ on that front. My kids are now very, very reluctant over jabs. It's pretty horrendous, but I don't know that it's because we spread out those particular jabs. They might be just as bad if we'd done it all at once.

Kali if you read my comments you would have seen the further explanation. It shouldn't be used "just in case" with vaccinations because it can cause them to be less effective. It should be used if your child actually has a fever...

Not sure about the 1 year jabs, but at 8 and 16 weeks with the men b jab they do recommend giving three doses of Calpol "just in case" to prevent a fever, as it's so common with this vaccine.

I'm on the fence here. Dd1 was 12 months when they were being changed from them being done at 12 and 13 months to just 12 months.

The reason they changed was to increase vaccination rates. After the 8/12/16 week jabs, parents are less likely to come back for 13 month jab after the 12 month one apparently.

Anyway, I didn't think ds1 was well enough for his jabs so took gp advice on it and they said he was fine. As it was such a new change I was given the choice of together or separate, although strongly encouraged to choose the joint jabs. Given I didn't feel he was up to it, I chose to stay with the 12 month and 13 month schedule.

Ds1 was in hospital just 2 days after his 12 month jab. The hospital were shocked the gp had given him the all clear and said the jab had sent his immune system into overdrive and simply couldn't cope with dealing with an existing throat and ear infection as well as developing immunity to the introduced bacteria/virus.

Naturally when my twins turned 12 months (3 years later), I was so worried about them having the jabs, especially having 2 babies to potentially get ill. But, I decided they hadn't had half the issues ds1 had in his first year so went for it.

Both babies were fine, save a small sensitive area for a day or two. Maybe a mild fever but nothing to worry about, I think one had paracetamol and the other didn't. We also had them done in their legs, two each side. It was best practice then so as to not upset the infant. They don't do jabs in arms at our surgery until the preschool boosters.

So on the whole, I am in favour providing there hasn't previously been mitigating circumstances. You've already said you're not one to be worried so a firm hug and baby will be fine. I think the nurses were always more worried about upsetting the little ones than I was, so make sure the tell them not to worry either. One of mine gave the nurse a big smile after the injection and I swear the nurse nearly bawled she was so happy!

Generally, Calpol isn't recommended after vaccinations unless it's required to control fever or severe discomfort, as there is clear evidence that it suppresses the immune response slightly and thus makes the vaccine a bit less effective. Before Bexsero was introduced, HVs used to stress this to parents and get frustrated when babies had been dosed up beforehand, and this is still the advice where Bexsero isn't given (at the 12 week jags). However, where Bexsero is given, certainly for the 8 and 16 week jags, prophylactic Calpol is strongly recommended because the reaction caused by this vaccine is so strong, and the resulting fever can be dangerous in such young babies. The Calpol takes the edge of this fever, but obviously does reduce the effectiveness of the other jags given at the same time as well.

Personally, I think this is another argument for spreading them out. If I'm going to put my baby through their vaccines I want them to work as well as possible!

Heavens above - just get on with it!

Honestly it's quite traumatic compared to your day to day experience with a small child- akin to them falling over and bumping themselves really hard. Not harmful but distinctly unpleasant. Get it over and done with, line up some kind of rare treat to distract them straight after, don't put them (or you) through it twice.