4 year old shots

My boys will be 4 soon, and I am going to schedule their 4 year old check up. It got me to thinking about how many shots they will get. I called the pedi's office but I got a call back from another pedi's nurse, so our pedi may do things differently. According to the nurse, her pedi does 5 shots at the 4 year well visit (DTaP, Polio, MMR, Chickenpox, and Hep A). This seems like a lot to me. We have mostly followed the recommended shot schedule, but wondered if these shots are supposed to be given between ages 4-6, why give them all at once.

For those of you who have had their children have these shots, did you do it all at once or break them up? Also, did your kids' seem to be more tired or cranky the next day?

Thanks,
Laurie

 

Here ya go...

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules...color-print.pdf

 

My girls really hate shots(takes 2 nurses and me to hold 1 down)so I wanted to get them over with. We did them all at their 5 year old check-up.

 

I gave my son his shots at five, but now I wish I had done it at 4...just b/c I had to hold him down and I think he would have done it better at 4...just b/c he wouldn't have been as "aware". I think the important thing is to get them done before they start kindergarten. I know the school here wanted proof of shots on or before the first day. HTH!

 

Isn't the chicken pox one combined with something? Maybe it isn't five actual shots. Good luck! I found that bribery has worked well for me. A trip to Toys R Us calms them right down
-Kimberly

 

We needed to have those shots for Kindergarten. I opted to split them up between their 4yr and 5yr well visit
so they wouldn't have so many at once.

 

QUOTE(fourznuff @ Jan 2 2008, 09:31 PM) [snapback]555289[/snapback]
Isn't the chicken pox one combined with something?

Our ped does the ProQuad which is MMR and Varicella.



I can't remember how many my oldest DD got at 4 years old, but our vax schedule now has 4 (DTaP #5, IPV #4, MMR #2 and PPD). My twins got the hep A at 12 months. My oldest DD just got it at 7 since it is new.

I don't remember my oldest really being cranky after shots, she never liked them and still doesn't. We just always gave tylenol 30 min. before going. We've always vaxed according to our peds schedule.

 

Since my 4yr old won't be attending kindergarten next year (November baby), I opted to break the shots into the 4 yr visit and the 5 yr visit. He does go to preschool, but they don't require vaccines like schools do. He has had all other shots according to the recommended schedule. Hope that helps.

Kelly

 

We split them. For my now 7yr old, his bday is April so we split them between the 4yr appt and the 5yr appt. For my oldest, now 10, her bday is in Nov and she started K at 4. She got two shots at her 4yr appt and we made a special appt the summer before K to get the last two. And yes bribery is wonderful for things like this! LOL

 

DD didn't get any shots until 5yo right before going into K. I think she got 2 shots, but our dr loves combo shots so I really don't know what was in them (yep I'm an uneducated vaccinator). If it really is going to be 5 individual shots then I would split them up.

 

We did them all in one shot so I wouldn't have to endure tears for the next few years of "Mom, are we getting a shot today?". Believe me, they WILL ask, lol. I think it is all a personal decision. I like them not having to have any shots until they are a bit older now.

Best of luck deciding.

 

Thanks everyone for your replies. My DH is in favor of getting them all over with at once (but then again he does not have to deal with them and I do). I am sure there will be a bribe involved (I had to have one last year just to get the one twin to stop crying so the doctor could look at him, but then it was only goldfish or something), my DH suggested Baskin Robbins since it is across the street from the doctor.

 

QUOTE(LLA @ Jan 3 2008, 12:25 PM) [snapback]555838[/snapback]
Thanks everyone for your replies. My DH is in favor of getting them all over with at once (but then again he does not have to deal with them and I do). I am sure there will be a bribe involved (I had to have one last year just to get the one twin to stop crying so the doctor could look at him, but then it was only goldfish or something), my DH suggested Baskin Robbins since it is across the street from the doctor.


We did them all at once- 2 shots in each arm. Just so you know- my girls had a very rough time the following days with tenderness and a lot of stiffness in both arms so if you do all of them, maybe the doctor can do some in the buttocks and some in the arm?


Good luck to you all!!!!