Baby travelling abroad before 16 week vaccination

[dreamerkr]

Please help guys. We will be travelling abroad to Pakistan for 3 weeks in February for my sister’s wedding but DS won’t have his 16 week vaccination by then because of how crap my GP surgery is. I’ve been trying to get an appointment for the last 4 weeks for his 6-8 week check and his 8 week vaccination but the surgery didn’t give it. I called them 3 times a week but they said they don’t have any appointments. Now they called yesterday saying to bring DS in for his 8 week vaccine on 3 Feb when he will be 10 weeks. So by the time we travel, he will have gotten his 8 and 12 week vaccinations but not his 16 week one. We’re trying to change the travel dates but I don’t know if it will be possible now. Is it safe to travel with DS before he’s gotten his 16 week vaccination? He will have the 8 week and 12 week ones by then. Any help would be much appreciated 😭 if I’ve left any details out please ask any questions. So stressed.

I’m sorry if I’m not making much sense

Depends so much on where you are travelling to ... I travelled with dd at 7 weeks, pre vaccinations, but this was to the USA. To Pakistan is much trickier as several of the diseases are still endemic - are you staying with family or in a hotel? What about the other diseases not part of the vaccine schedule particularly malaria?

Personally I wouldn't want to travel with such a young baby

Thank you so much! Was your daughter okay with travelling long haul? We would be living with family and wouldn’t be taking DS out anywhere (not even to the wedding), so I guess he would be safe but I still am unsure. I’m just really scared and confused. I will ask GP about malaria too as I too was thinking the same. My whole family would be travelling with me (husband, sisters, brother and my parents) and everyone would be there to take care of baby. But I still don’t know

Would he have protection against the diseases after the 8 and 12 week vaccinations? Or only after the 16 week one?

Could your health visitor help?

Everyone in my family is now telling me not to be worried and that they’ll all be there to take care of my baby, and that he won’t get sick because he won’t be getting out of the house (thank god there’s no hygiene issue). They’re saying that there will be more people to take care of him there than here.

I’ve messaged her, but she hasn’t replied yet.

Has baby been offered tb vaccination?
My babies got the bcg before their 8 week vaccinations, because of where we were likely to travel. If you and/or DH have Pakistani heritage, i suspect you meet similar criteria.

iirc, there is nothing new in the 16 week vaccinations - just boosters from previous series. But id echo the questions from above - what about other travel vaccinations?

Personally I would not take such a young baby. The 12 week vac would have just been given and not had enough time to be effective.

A quick google shows Pakistan is at level 2 alert and has circulating polio, for example and recommends being fully vac (which normally means last jab 1 month before travel) before travelling to the area. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/alert/global-polio

It doesn't matter if you dont take them out when there if they are mixing with lots of family members who are going out.

He’s had his TB vaccination, about 2-3 weeks ago. The 16 week vaccine is the same as the previous ones but would give more protection, but DS would still be protected without it too right? He would be getting the 16 week vaccination as soon as we get back.

I think the 12 week vaccination would be given at the start of February. There’s no way for DS to have gotten his 16 week vaccination by 14 February right? If he’s getting the 8 week one on the 3rd of Jan? Can’t they give the vaccines a bit earlier, or do they have to be given every 4 weeks? I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about this

I believe they will have some protection but not all, the full course needs to be completed, and a period after the last jab before they are fully protected.

You need to speak to a medical person to fully understand the risks. There may be other vaccine needed too before travel.

Thank you so much. I will be speaking to my GP next week and the nurse on the 3rd, but they’re pretty crap honestly.

It is likely all they will be able to say anyway is they are not fully vac and therefore not fully protected and it is a risk that you need to decide whether to take or not.

They will unlikely do your homework for you - they wont check for example that there is circulating polio at your destination. You need to educate yourself on this carefully before making a decision.

That’s true. I did talk to a far relative of mine who’s a pharmacist in Pakistan, he told me that in the city I’ll be travelling to there have been no cases of polio this year. There were around 20 cases in the whole of Pakistan last year but not around where we would be living. So it’s very, very less but there’s still a tiny chance. I’m sorry for so many questions guys…