Vaccinating in the NICU

[sunnylove]

Did you vaccinate your little one in the NICU? Why or why not?

We decided to delay our son's 2 month vaccines. Mostly because he's not really 2 months old, he's 34 weeks gestation and while he's doing good, I don't want to take a chance inducing a fever or respiratory issues via the shots. The nurses weren't completely understanding (although some are!) and the doctor was fine with it. He said I had every right to choose not to vaccinate and my choice was completely valid. I've gotten some crap from family about it, but at the end of the day, it is OUR choice. It's better that we're looking into it, rather than following blindly one side or the other. We are going to be reading up a lot before we vaccinate him.

 

[kit10grl]

We were late giving DD her vaccines. The 2 month ones were due the same week as her final operation. So our Hv (who is just ridiculous) was pushing to have them done as she didn't want to get behind and they NEEDED to be done apparently. She spoke to nurses without asking me and then had them tell me they were happy to do it. She made out to them I was being stupid and saying I didn't want to take DD (still an inpatient ) to the clinic like I was some kind of idiot.

After explaining again that I didn't want DD to have to contend with feeling rubbish after injections as well as coping with GA, being intubated again, the actual surgical recovery and the hospital transfer they were totally understanding. She ended up getting them about a month later which then delayed the rest as they have to be given with the right gaps in between.

Her next set are her 13 months ones and these will be given on time except for the MMR which we are delaying until DD has some more tests done

 

[Foogirl]

Abby was out of hospital by the time she had hers but was still only 35 weeks gestation. For me it was about risks v consequences. the risks of her catching something were low but the consequences were high. I'd have been happy to have her vaccinated in NNICU had she still been there, but she was quite stable during her stay. Not sure how I would have felt if she were more poorly. I think I would have followed the consultants advice as I would be fairly sure he wouldn't have been happy to do it were there a risk. That said, I can't see what the problem is with waiting. These diseases can't surely be much of a risk in NNICU.

 

[Srrme]

We tried to delay them, but our Doctor pushed for them, and in the end she even gave him vaccines that we specifically requested (verbal AND written) not to be given to him.

 

[sunnylove]

Really Srrme? That is not right. Glad my NICU doctors were understanding and didn't have a problem with it. Some of them are completely unnecessary, like Hep B, which should only be given to babies if the mother has Hep B herself.

 

[Srrme]

Really Srrme? That is not right. Glad my NICU doctors were understanding and didn't have a problem with it. Some of them are completely unnecessary, like Hep B, which should only be given to babies if the mother has Hep B herself.

Yes! It was horrible! We tried really hard to delay them, but she kept coming up with excuses to keep him longer and seemed to not want to discharge him until we agreed to vaccinate. The ones he was given without our consent I didn't find out about until I read his discharge notes!

Hep B was one of the ones we did NOT want.

 

[staky89]

My lg was born at 28+6 and she had all of her injections at the right time, the first set being in hospital. The drs and nurses at her hospital were fantastic and I trusted them with everything. And if they said that they were giving them I trusted it was the right decision.

 

[rbourre]

My daughter got hers a few days after she got out of the hospital. She was in for 2 months and 1 day and got her 2 month vaccinations 3 days later at the doctor's office. She was 39 weeks gestational age when she got them.

 

[Kros330]

We went ahead and gave our triplets their vaccines according to their actual age. They were 26 weekers. We just had them spread out over a week.

 

[jandksmommy]

We let them give our little one her vaccination in the NICU. They had to give them to her in 2 stages as, at 2 months old, she was not quite 32 weeks gestation and only 3lbs so her legs were too tiny for more than one needle at a time. I had concerns but she took it like a trooper and had no side effects.