Spacing out vaccines on NHS

[Muqi]

Hi guys, I'm not posting about advice on vaccines. I want to space out vaccines for my DS where he will only receive 1 jab at a time every 3 weeks. I have my own complete informed schedule which I have supplied to the NHS however so far they are refusing to follow my schedule. Has anyone had any experience where they have been able to get an alternative schedule done on the NHS? If so how did you get them to follow?

Figures vary, but a quick search puts the cost of a GP appointment at around £45 each... Not to mention the actual ill people who would miss out while you were fulfilling your 'schedule'.

For clarification. This is what they should have at 12 months.
year

Hib/Men C vaccine, given as a single jab containing vaccines against meningitis C (first dose) and Hib (fourth dose)
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, given as a single jab
Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, third dose
Men B vaccine, third dose

That amounts to 4 jabs and a lot
Of different vaccines. We didn't have the MMR at that time and said we would do it at a later date. The. Nurse was fine with that decision. I would happily pay £20 for the additional appointment of asked. I didn't want them all in separate jabs, just not all 4 combined jabs at once.

Hi there I did a combination of private versus NHS. You can have a single injection at a time but the vaccination will stoop be combined if that is the routine one they use if that makes sense. So for example, you could have the hib- men c and then next time the pneumococcal and next time the 5 in 1 etc. If you want the 5 in one split most private places do the Dtap and the other two as separates. Each private vaccine is around about £90 up to £150 from my experience. With a staggered schedule as well sometimes they need more or less which I am sure you already know, depending on what age they had the first dose.

I have found it difficult to get mine spaced out but it has been achievable. I have then paid for the Men B vaccine as a Sep for my daughter as she was too old to have it on the NHS. If you did it like this you can get full coverage apart from you cannot get separate mumps and rubella at present. Hope that info helps a little bit and best of luck x

It is possible to have them as and when you wish under certain time frames but it isn't available on the NHS. You need to contact a private hospital.

The administration guidelines mean that nurses can give all the shots. It does not bind them to doing them all in one sitting. There will be no need whatsoever for separate documentation.

But I expect you will need to find a drop in, rather than taking up appointments.

Hello op.

I have done exactly what you're planning.

The difference may be our circumstances. My ds was premature, very poorly and nearly died following his first set of immunisations (we think it was the menB that caused the severe reaction although can't be sure - 3 other babies also had similar reactions in the unit).

As a result we postponed the 2nd menB (included in 16 weeks imms).

At the time of the 12 month imms we were still apprehensive and told the practice nurse that we wanted to stagger them, so did the boosters, then 3-4 weeks later the mmr, then a few weeks later something else (can't remember which without checking).

We've not yet had the menB as he's been poorly most of the winter and don't want to risk it, but have agreement with the surgery that we can book him in for once well enough.

So, in short, it can be done but you need an understanding medical team. Have you discussed with your hv?

I'm afraid it's unreasonable to take up extra GP time for no demonstrated medical reason (if there was robust evidence that vaccines needed to be spaced out the NHS would do it like this). I don't see why you couldn't get the first of the set of three for free as usual, but you then ought to pay for the other two appointments, as other posters have said. This would be true even if NHS not in crisis, but in current situation I think it would be very selfish to take up time that a nurse could be using to examine someone who is actually sick.

Itscurtainsforyou the HV just advises to speak to our GP about it at least I know it can be done. The way I see it is the NHS schedule is not legally binding. My son is entitled to receive, for free, any vaccination the NHS offer. As a a parenr i have right over my child's body and what and when he should receive vacvinations. I am not asking for any vaccination that the NHS doesn't already provide.

I'm a practice nurse and give baby imms.

Our PGDs are fairly limiting and do set some restrictions on what we can give , and when. I wouldn't be allowed to give immunisations willy nilly at the request of parents. We do allow for some events such as a family being away and so having to give one set a week or two later, for example.

I'm not exactly sure how you plan to space them out every 3 weeks and what basis you have for that? Do you mean give the DTaP/IPV/Hib then come back 3 weeks later for the Rotarix then 3 weeks later for Prevenar then 3 weeks later for the Bexsero? We wouldn't be able to do that. And it would be potentially unsafe as you are spreading them so far apart it leaves them unprotected for much longer. There are limitations on the age you can start and finish Rotarix as well so it would get very complicated.

I have spaced vaccines at parents request for older babies, e.g. Given 2 one week then the other 2 4 weeks later.

Bear in mind that the schedule in the U.K. is devised based on disease prevalence, as well as immunological responses so there is a reason for giving some things a certain interval from others to allow maximal immune response. It's not just plucked out of thin air.

The consultant GP that helped me plan both of my children's vaccine schedules recommended four weeks in between each vaccination. If you get refused by the nurse it may be because they do not understand vaccination amounts outside of the usual schedule and that is fair enough as it is probablt quite stressful to do something they are not trained to do. When this happened for one of my vaccines we contacted the main health board to explain and sent a letter from the private consultant which sorted it out for us. In all honesty I found it very stressful and with a third on the way am dreading doing it again and would go private if we had a clinic near enough but the nearest is ages away. Best of luck x

If you get refused by the nurse it may be because they do not understand vaccination amounts outside of the usual schedule and that is fair enough as it is probablt quite stressful to do something they are not trained to do.

I doubt that would be the case lovemy - practice nurses give these vaccines in their thousands yearly, and receive extensive training and undergo regular updates and assessments. GPs rarely (if ever in my experience) give babies immunisations. We are considered the 'experts'.

It is standard practice that there should be 4 weeks minimum between most immunisations - nurses will know this. We are bound by guidelines, directives and clinical restrictions hence why we can't just tweak the schedule for no good reason. And a parent asking to space them out to their own agenda or timeline isn't a good reason. I wouldn't risk my professional registration to do that.

If a doctor wants to do that s/he is welcome to, especially if they are a consultant paediatrician or immunologist and of course every child can be treated on a case by case basis.

As a a parenr i have right over my child's body and what and when he should receive vacvinations. Not exactly JonLay. Yes of course you can give or withhold consent for immunisations, as the parent that is your right. But you cannot demand that a health professional give any vaccine you choose at the time of your choosing. It doesn't work like that. You can only choose vaccines for your child when they are eligible, it is clinically indicated and they are safe to have them.

But you cannot demand that a health professional give any vaccine you choose at the time of your choosing. It doesn't work like that. You can only choose vaccines for your child when they are eligible, it is clinically indicated and they are safe to have them
There is no proof on the NHS website nor withing the handbook to the NHS Constitution (a legislative document) to support claims that a parent is unable to choose when their child receives a vaccine. All official sources describe the NHS schedule as recommended

Just going off what the nurse told me about her specific training and understanding to do with the vaccination schedule - so I had a specialist consultant GP whom runs the private clinic draft a schedule outline and she said she felt comfortable with that - I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable with my choices or rights as a parent to politely request something different to the standard model :)

Yes JonLay, but there are more specific clinical directives that stipulate what can be given and when. We have to work to them. The NHS schedule may be recommended but it forms the basis for the vaccines given alongside the clinical protocols; I doubt you'd find many NHS HCPs that would be willing to practice outside those protocols.

Of course it depends on the vaccines involved, and what the parent is asking for. Asking for the 12 month old to have e.g. MMR and Hib/Men C one day, and to return a month later for the MenB and Prevenar - not a problem. Asking for a preschooler to have Td/IPV instead of DTaP/IPV - not going to happen.

Sidge, I don't think the OP wants her child to have vaccines that they aren't eligible for at the time - just not to have more than one at a time. I know a few people who have spread out vaccines/selectively vaccinated and it hasn't been a problem.

My experience of NHS is quite different. Very happy to space the NHS jabs differently.

And if you miss a jab, they're very happy to do it late.

It really isn't the case that they all have to be done together for medical reasons.

Oh I know bumbleymummy I think I'd gone a bit off topic with other posters!

I guess it boils down to what you're asking for and why.

Dd1 had a bad reaction to her first lot of injections (this was 7 years ago, I know there are more now!) After talking it through with the nurse and Dr we decided that she would have 1 jab at a time every 6 weeks, rather than the 2 in one leg and 1 in the other.
However this was on medical advice and because the GP and nurse both thought it was necessary after her reaction. Every 3 weeks is too soon, they need time to recover, it's 6 weeks for a reason.

But they shouldn't have a problem with you stating you only want 1 injection at a time and having a slower vaccination schedule. The only issue you should have is he 3 week one, like I said, it's too soon. They need to recover and be fully fit after the last one.

Just go private. Even you discussing this with nhs folk will be using up their precious time. Have you worked out which ones will be last on your list, therefore leaving your child unprotected the longest...

What makes you so special, Snowflake. Just do what everyone else has done! I love the NHS!!!

And because people never see prices, they never understand the true cost of medicines, GP visits, surgery etc...

Not everyone else does do it though turkey. There is a small
Percentage of people who don't vaccinate their children at all and a
Small Percentage who don't vaccinate on the normal Schedule.
I said earlier in the thread that we delayed the MMR as we didn't want our sons system
Overloaded by having 4 vaccines all at once. I didn't make that decision because I think my Toddler is a special snowflake, but because of other concerns I had about health issues he was already dealing with.

And the true cost can be more if a child reacts badly to having too many vaccines in one go. Another poster already mentioned her child reacting badly -
That reaction would have cost the NHS so her decision to space out the remaining vaccines could have been more Cost effective. Obviously in OPs case there is no reason to suspect that her child would have a reaction as most children Don't.

There is no extra cost in ordering vaccines it would be exactly the same. The only "extra" is the GP giving me more appointments.

Which are about £100 - 150 a time, go privately.,

I have no problem with my taxes being spent on your child's healthcare, I do have a problem with you wasting money on a batshit schedule from your 'own research'