Finding this friend very selfish regarding child vaccinations

[jabbbbah]

My friend was telling me how she split the 1 year vaccinations for both of her children into two appointments because she thought getting all 4 vaccines in 1 day might cause her kids to be too poorly.

So she took up two appointments, rather than just one.

Aibu or is this just a waste of time ? Or did anyone else also request it ? I was surprised she was even allowed to do that.

I used to work at a GP surgery. Trust me, if she’s their biggest time waster, they are absolutely laughing!

Technically yes she’s used an appointment that could have been used by someone else, but I guarantee there were 10+ people the same day who just didn’t bother to turn up for their appointment. So it’s not a big deal and she was doing it out of concern for her child, not just because she wanted to be difficult.

Better this than no vaccinations but yeah I’m not sure what makes her think she knows so much better than everyone else including the medics who develop the vaccination schedule. It’s a bit precious.

Classic Mumsnet. I bet if I had said I wanted to do it or had done this with my own kids, I would be crucified !

I'm sure with all her years of medical trying she knows better than her GP

😳

The problem is that she is taking up 2 appointments for her "feels". This is the problem with the internet, randomers with no more than a GCSE in Biology from 15 years ago are arrogant enough to think that because they have read a forum or two, they are better informed than clinical advisors with PhDs coming out of their ears and 30 years of research experience.

YABU - but only because it’s better she does this than not vax her kids at all and cause massive expense to the health service in future

My children are 16 and I was offered this by the nurse at my local GP practice in London

Not at all!

Better that than not vaccinate at all.
And I'd bet my bottom dollar she turned up for her appointments rather than the 80 odd a month who don't bother.

Crucified! Total overreaction, like the rest of the OP.

I've split all my dc vaccines as didn't want them having huge doses at once. I really don't understand how you can honestly be that bothered by this, considering all the appointments taken up by complete time wasters. And at least she's got her child vaccinated, which she may not have done if not given the option to stagger the doses. If that's what made her feel more comfortable with it, then what's the issue?! Do you also think I'm a time waster as I had to have 4 smears tests, all averaging over an hour each as my tilted womb makes it really hard for the nurse to get a good enough sample? Should I have just not bothered attempting to go back after the first failed attempt as to not take up any more precious time at the doctor's office? Me and my god dam time wasting uterus should just go to hell I guess 😄.

Meh. I don’t think it’s necessary but it’s hardly massive NHS time wasting akin to calling an ambulance for a broken nail. I have friends who take their children to the doctor for every minor sore throat, temperature or tummy bug. A couple of extra vaccine appointments is trivial, certainly compared to the cost if the child isn’t vaccinated and becomes ill.

@GulesMeansRed but she's not trying to say she's better informed than all of the medical practitioners but I definitely "feel" that I know my child better than anyone so I will always make a decision based on my "feels" of the right thing for them.

My MIL said that her eldest had a sky high temperature after the MMR and had a scary seizure and so for her subsequent children she split the doses. She didn't think she knew better than the medical professionals but she did feel she made the right choices for her own children 🤷🏼‍♀️

They're all together to increase uptake as it's hard for people to do so many appointments. It's fine either way as long as you do them. I think it's pretty selfish (and bad for your kid) to not vaccinate them, but this seems fine really.

I was told to do this with ds has he was frequently ill and had reacted badly to his first set of injections. He also had the 4 month split into two lots (at about 11 months old because that was the first clear fortnight he hadn't been ill in since 3 months) again at the doctor's suggestion.

I’d say she made a sensible decision and one that was absolutely in the best interests of her child.

If there were built difficulties getting vaccination appointments for your DC in your area I can see why this would cause a problem if a lot of people did it. Here there are plenty of appointments so I can’t really see the issue. We had to cancel DCs twice because of covid and a subsequent illness so effectively we took up three appointments, although not intentionally.

I give these. In many years there has only been one mum who insisted I split them into two appointments. I had to get her to choose which ones to delay, can't advise on that.
The child screamed and cried and got very distressed at appointment one, and then returned the following month and screamed and cried and got very distressed all over again.
Then she admitted she wished she'd just had them all done at once.

Why on earth do you care

The problem is that she is taking up 2 appointments for her "feels".

I used to work in a very stretched NHS service. I had people DNA appointments "because it's sunny". Compared to that, a parent trying to do their best for their child is absolutely nothing.

We allow parents to split vaccines, it’s not common but the 1 year ones are 4 injections.

i just think at least they are coming to get them done. I sat in a clinic all afternoon recently where not one child came for their pre school boosters, all informed and told me they were coming 7 appointments. I don’t care but it means people who want their children vaccinated can use those appointments instead. So someone splitting appointments really isn’t that big a deal if I’m honest, don’t judge because they are still getting their child vaccinated.

Yabu and your reaction to being told that yabu is also unreasonable.

I can't see the logic in splitting them myself, but a fully vaccinated child hardly qualifies as 'fuck everyone else'.

Hardly the worst sin against the NHS, as long as the kid got their vaccines this is alright

I'd judge her more if she refused to get the child vaccinated. Taking up two slots is fine, especially if the surgery was happy with the arrangement.