Kindergarten shots

Discussion in 'Childhood and Beyond (4+)' started by seamusnicholas, Jul 30, 2010.

  1. seamusnicholas

    seamusnicholas Well-Known Member

    The boys had their 4 year old visit today. The Dr. told me that at their 5 year appointment, they have to have 4 shots; polio, tetanus, mmr and varicella. He said he could give the tetanus and polio today. I was not ready to do that since I wanted to look it all up. He said if I changed my mind, I can bring them in for a nurse visit and they can give just those two.

    Did any of you give those earlier or did you do all kindergarten shots at the same time. If you had the chance to do what I mentioned above would you? I am kind of thinking if its going to hurt at their 5 year appointment, lets just do it all at once and save them the pain of doing it twice.
     
  2. 2 Munchkins

    2 Munchkins Well-Known Member

    IMO 4 shots at once seems like alot and I would spread them out. I don't think mine had to get 4 shots right before K, they got them when they were younger. At the 6 year appointment, I believe, they needed some sort of booster shot or new vaccine.
     
  3. Jen620

    Jen620 Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    All 3 of my girls got all their K shots when they were 4. At our office, 2 nurses gave the shots 2 at a time, 2 in each leg. I figured I might as well get done with it!
     
  4. Utopia122

    Utopia122 Well-Known Member

    We did all four just two weeks ago and it wasn't as bad as I thought. I wanted to split them up, but DH thought they would be terrified going back to the pedi so he thought it was better to get it all over with...he was right. I was almost in tears when they told me 4 at once and had no clue how we would manage...of course I was thinking the worst. After their initial checkup, I took Sarah to the waiting room while DH stayed with Allison to have her shots. Allison screamed like a Banshee and was really upset. I took Sarah in to have her shots after Allison and she barely whimpered through all four...she was a trooper. I am so glad that we got them all over with, I couldn't imagine taking them back to get more shots especially now that they know what it's all about. Allison probably wouldn't even go in the office at this point. They ran no fever and had just a tiny bit of soreness in one arm the next day..not bad at all.
     
  5. summerfun

    summerfun Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    My two got 4 shots at their 4 year old visit. I don't think they get any shots at their 5 year old visit. And I don't remember my oldest DD getting any at 5 either. Our 4 year old shots must be for K.
     
  6. TwinxesMom

    TwinxesMom Well-Known Member

    we had ours a month ago. We had to have them before prek. The care van came to the school and they did them there. Its really nice they provide them (free no matter what ins) and the parents don't have to take the time off to go to the appts.
     
  7. rubyturquoise

    rubyturquoise Well-Known Member

    We did them all at once.
     
  8. kimr

    kimr Well-Known Member

    At the girls 4 yr old appt, our pedi asked if we'd like to get a head start on kindergarten shots since they would be getting 4 and I don't think we needed any shots at the 4 yr appt, so I agreed. It was no big deal and when they had their kindergarten visit a month ago, they only needed 2 shots.
     
  9. FirstTimeMom814

    FirstTimeMom814 Well-Known Member

    I don't remember how many it was, but we had all our kinder shots at 4. This year for their 5 yr check up they didn't need any shots.
     
  10. TwinxesMom

    TwinxesMom Well-Known Member

    Also we do not have to have anoymore till they are 11
     
  11. me_and_my_boy

    me_and_my_boy Well-Known Member

    My boys have their 5 year well check in Sept. I took them in 2 weeks ago to get 2 of the 4 shots. They will get the remaining 2 in Sept. There is a new Hep A shot that is voluntary that the drs. want to do. Not sure I will do that one. That will require 2 shots 6 months apart. Other than that, we won't need anymore shots until they are 10 or 11.

    Mendy
     
  12. moski

    moski Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    We had 4 shots at their 5 year appt. I brought my niece with me to help with the hugs.
     
  13. ktfan

    ktfan Well-Known Member

    We did none at the 4 yr and 4 at the 5 yr. I agree that going back this year would have been really hard if they had gotten shots last year. This way they are all done with shots til at least 11. Kayci especially keeps asking anytime someone goes to the doctor if they get shots. This way I can confidently tell her NO shots until she's much older.
     
  14. Sue1968

    Sue1968 Well-Known Member

    My kids had the DTP and Polio at their 4yo checkup and then the Chicken Pox and MMR at their 5yo checkup. I liked having them split up because, unfortunately, they are all kind of painful :hush: for the kids and it took a few days for the injection site to calm down. I feel so bad giving them painful shots but it's a lot less painful than getting sick.
     
  15. Username

    Username Well-Known Member

    The Dr. told me that at their 5 year appointment, they have to have 4 shots; polio, tetanus, mmr and varicella.

    I would focus less on the number of injections and more on the number of vaccines (6!) they are getting. And I would question a MD who told me my kid *has to have* anything! I don't do varicella but opt for natural immunity. I don't break out the mmr but keep it separate from anything else. I believe vaccinations are very important for the right things but don't want to overload a small body with too much as once. (not that the heavy metals actually dissipate or anything.)
     
  16. debid

    debid Well-Known Member

    We did them all at once because I asked the kids and that was what they wanted. Their choices were "some shots today and some right before school or all of the shots today". They start school 6 weeks before their birthday so waiting until their 5-year wasn't an option. They've never had a reaction to a vaccine beyond a bit of soreness at the injection site and they weren't getting anything new so I didn't feel uncomfortable with getting them all at once.
     
  17. debid

    debid Well-Known Member

    I'm pretty sure the "has to have" is about the school's list of required vaccines rather than the doctor's personal or professional opinion.
     
  18. seamusnicholas

    seamusnicholas Well-Known Member

    Exactly. It was not like "You have to have...or else." He was just telling me the requirements. Thanks everyone. I will not make an extra visit. I will just bring them in next July at their 5 year and have them all at once.
     
  19. momotwinsmom

    momotwinsmom Well-Known Member

    Peyton had all of hers done at her 4 year check up so she'd be ready for K. I know she had no problem with them either. I can't remember with the twins, but I am sure they had them all at once too. I never stretched out their shots.
     
  20. Username

    Username Well-Known Member

    Right, but the public schools "required" vaccines can be easily waived and follow the AAP guidelines. I think that many times parents hear the "needs to have", "required", etc and don't know they have options. Let's face it, a parent in the exam room with a kid (or two, :drown: or four!) sitting in their underwear doesn't truly hear everything and often doesn't question the "authority." As parents (heck, as people!) we have the right to make our own INFORMED decisions but that is a lot more work than just following guidelines that may not be best for our individual child, kwim?
     
  21. becasquared

    becasquared Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I spoke to the kids pediatrician about their 4 year visit, and when she mentioned that they would be getting their (5 year) shots then, I asked why not wait until the kindergarten physical and she said that basically with all of the other stuff that goes along with the kindergarten physical (vision testing, hearing testing, finger prick blood test) that they prefer to now give the immunizations at the age of 4 to 4.5 so that way the children aren't overwhelmed at the kindergarten physical and can focus on the vision and hearing test a little more than the anticipation of "am I getting a shot?" (And I did a summer of "eyes and ears" testing and getting almost 5 year olds to focus on looking in a machine or telling me which ear the noise went into is like herding cats, especially when they're scared of being in a doctor's office.)
     
  22. debid

    debid Well-Known Member

    I'll admit that my kids are pretty fearless at the doctor's office and they enjoyed the eyes and ears testing almost as much as they enjoyed peeing in a cup. Heck, they like getting shots because I always give them a treat afterward. So, I hadn't even thought of distraction being a problem but I can see their point. Everything was done at the 4-year for us although I don't remember a finger prick blood test. Was that for lead?
     
  23. becasquared

    becasquared Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    Maybe Hematocrit/Hemoglobin? I'm trying to remember back 15 years when I worked in the doctor's office.

    Kids would come in, get height/weight, they would pee in a cup, see the doctor and get their shots, get the eyes/ears with me then the blood test (in the office lab). Then I would fill out the forms with all of the results and shot records while they waited. Usually we had all of the results by that time, the H/H test was a quickie, usually less than 5 minutes, the urine took longer to process. Sometimes when they came to see me in the eyes/ears room they were pretty rattled from the shots and the anticipation of what was coming next(the doctors did not pass the shots off to the nurses to administer, they gave them all, that's why it was part of the visit, and not afterwards).
     
  24. rissakaye

    rissakaye Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    We had none of the extra tests at our kindergarten physical. No urine or bloodwork. Just a normal physical with a few shots.

    Marissa
     
  25. Utopia122

    Utopia122 Well-Known Member


    Really? Just out of curiosity, how? I just had a student that started school two days late because they didn't have the "required" vaccinations. I just recently read an article saying the AAP strongly endorses universal immunization. Are you talking about guidelines for shots? I'm just not sure I know what you mean. How can you waive immunization and still go to school...through religion??
     
  26. debid

    debid Well-Known Member

    The only exemptions allowed here are religious (on the form the child's physician fills out, they have to affirm your religious exemption), documented history of the illness, or documented recommendation against administering a specific vaccine due to risk of harm to a particular child (physician sign-off required). It's not like you can say, "I don't want that one but this other one is fine" and then send your kids to a public school or even a licensed daycare. So, those who wish to be selective with vaccines generally homeschool.
     
  27. Username

    Username Well-Known Member

    You can pick and choose what you want. I do a very delayed scheduled which means some are not necessary at all.

    It does vary state by state, but generally a letter, along with the kids' immunization record and health report, that states due to strongly held beliefs the child has no/few/some/most/whatever immunizations but not others. I've never had a problem, other than the kids needing to miss a few days of school when a vaccinated child continued to go to school with chicken pox because the parent failed to realize what it was. Then during the period my child *might* be contagious we had to stay away. Fortunately all my kids have had CP so it isn't an issue now.

    ETA- What is religion? Organized only? Isn't religion essentially a belief or belief system? Here is the state by state exemptions. I was suprised to see the stats on my town (not state) that shows fully 27% of kids un or partially vaxed.
     
  28. sharongl

    sharongl Well-Known Member

    and that is why Measles, and Mumps and some other diseases are on the rise. I not only vaccinate my children to protect them, but I do it for the children who CAN'T be vaccinated-like those with cancer, or auto-immune problems. We live in a society, and we need to keep in mind others as well as ourselves!
     
    1 person likes this.
  29. Username

    Username Well-Known Member

    We've only seen cp, not measles, mumps, polio, etc. Most children who have these HAVE been vaccinated. I am fully for medical immunizations, but not to the point of damaging our natural immune systems. Vaccinations save many more lives than they put at risk (I don't want to say obviously, because nothing is obvious, but I'll *think* that!) but look at all the kids who have to re-do their vacccinations because they didn't "take." I'll continue to argue for slower vaccinations and only for items and only for needed items. Most healthy kids don't need the full course.
     
  30. akameme

    akameme Well-Known Member TS Moderator

    I believe the MMR is a booster at that age, and you can look at having your children's titers (sp?) to confirm if they have immunity from the first shot they received. That's what I plan to do is see if they already have immunity based on the other shots before agreeing to the booster.

    I think Chicken pox may fall into the same category. We are two years away from K...so this isn't a pressing question for us.
     
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