Anyone with preemies NOT doing Synagis?

Hi there-
Our kiddos were born at 31 weeks and have been getting Synagis since they were born (October). My insurance changed last month (BCBS was paying 100%) and Unicare will not pay for any of them until we pay our $3000 deductable AND 25% of each shot, which is $577 each! We are trying to figure out what to do and I have been so incredibly stressed about this. I am terrified they will get sick.

Has anyone NOT gotten the shots? I really think I need to hear that we are not the only ones. Any help would be great! Thank you!

 

My daughters were born at 30 weeks and never received this shot, or any other vaccine for that matter. They have had 2 colds since birth and are completely healthy little angels.

In the beginning just be careful who comes around them and where you take them. I didnt let anyone but immediate family over for the first 2 months they were home and NO ONE was allowed with even a runny nose. We didnt go into public either in that time, only to my mother's house. Now it is a different story but I played it safe when they were little.

 

My babies were born at 33 weeks and did not get the shot. We were told to keep them in the house and not take them anywhere to prevent them from getting sick. Although our insurance would pay for it, we haven't done it. They haven't been sick or gotten any colds. We even flew on an airplane at 6 weeks old.

 

My girls are 27 weekers and we have been getting the shots since October as well. They also got RSV in November and it was pretty bad, but not as bad as it would have been. Anyway the way our insurance works is that we are going to have to pay $3000 for our Jan & Feb. shot (not to mention our huge bills from last years 9 week hospital stay). So we asked the girls doctor about the March and April shot and he said that he hasn't seen any RSV in about a month (I think every baby in town had it last year) and we would be safe to skip the next 2. I feel and little guilty about it, but he said it was okay so we are skipping them. You may want to ask yours and see what he/she suggests.

 

I know how you feel. My girls got the first few months of synagis and then we moved. Our insurance screwed up and kept refusing the referal for the shot, by the time we got the referal, dh got out of the military and we lost our insurnace. We have missed Jan and Feb shots. Im a nervous wreck too. Because of that, we dont take the girls anywhere, they can go outside for a stroller ride or for car rides but that is it. We dont take them to the store unless absolutly neccessary and if that happens they stay completely covered up. I have to be careful about taking ds out to, his immune system is still so weak from being a 27 weeker so he picks up anything he is around. We dont have anyone come over that has even been near a person sneezing or coughing. Thank goodness the season is almost over

 

My guys came just before 34 weeks in October. We haven't been doing the shots. I don't take them anywhere, for anything, other than pedi visits, or to my parent's house. The season is almost over and we're keeping our fingers crossed. Be advised, the shot is just a temporary thing, they will probably get RSV sometime next year.

 

We didn't qualified - since the boys were over 6mos when RSV season started and weren't under 29 weeks when born - requirements here - and our Pediatrician felt we would be okay w/out - since they weren't in daycare, they are our only children, I did not plan on joining a playgroup until RSV season was over, and don't take them out except in the stroller on walks and such....

I just use lots of purell, keep them at home for the most part, and don't let people other than close family over...so far so good (knock-on-wood)...

 

mine were born at 36 weeks but were VERY low birthweight (3.5 and 4.5 lbs) so we didn't qualify...they've had one cold/ear infection (on top of each other) in November and nothing since - and we don't restrict taking them out and never have...

 

Ours were born at 33 weeks, and have not received the shot either. We are very careful with them, but do take them out occasionally. I have a 11 year old boy, who could easily take it home from school, but the girls have not been sick yet.

 

I know some insurance companies only pay for five shots and therefore, if you had been getting them since October, you should be fine. We are no longer getting them because of that. Plus, from what I was told, the high RSV time is over. Just a thought. That is what we were told, anyway.

 

No Synergis here. My girls were born at 34 weeks and the pedi was really irritated we chose not to do them. I didn't do flu shots either for my own personal reasons. I went with my gut and I was proactive all winter as far as hand washing and watching where we take them and who we take them around and we only had one cold. My kids that are in school were heartbroken at times because if they showed any signs of being sick I quarantined them, but so far it has helped keep them healthy for the most part. You should be fine!

 

ours were 33 weeks in Oct and our insurance denied the shots. My pedi continued to fight it but we still didn't get the shots..Doubt we will now..They have been fine..(KOW) We made sure noone came to the house that was sick and made sure EVERYONE washed their hands before touching the babies.

 

My girls were born at 31 weeks and are getting the shots...thankfully my insurance covers everything but a $10 copay. But I asked last time we were in how many more shots there were. She said one for sure (which they get next Wednesday). Then after that it would depend on the CDC's definition of RSV season for our location. The number of cases and severity over the season are taken into account.

So potentially, they could just have one more round of shots.

I'm not sure where you are located, but maybe ask your pedi about this CDC assessment. Maybe you are in an area where RSV season is considered over or pretty much over.

 

We couldn't get insurance to cover the shots so we didn't get them. My twins were born at 34 weeks. I pretty much haven't brought them anywhere this winter. And seem like I am more germaphobic than I was before... due to my doctor freaking me out. Luckily, they have only gotten sick twice since being born in June.

 

RSV season is almost over so you've at least got that going for you. The shot isn't actually a vaccine as much as it is an antibody that prevents some kids from getting RSV. Pretty much every child will get RSV by the age of 2, it can just be more dangerous for small babies because it can develop into respiratory problems. Are your babies in daycare or do they have young siblings or cousins that they see frequently? If their most frequent caregivers are you and DH and the babies have been healthy since birth, then I wouldn't worry about the shots for the rest of this RSV season. By next year, you may have paid down your deductible enough that it will be easier to make a decision at that time.

 

The company that makes Synagis set up a separate company to help people get the shots. I was in the NICU when their rep came by. Talk to your pedi and get a hold of the synagis rep, see if you can get into their program or get their financial aid.

 

Thanks so much for all the advise! I feel so much better. We live in Houston and I imagine RSV season should be close to over, it is so warm.