Vaccines while baby has a cold?

notshanarishona

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:44 am

Would you cancel your toddlers shot if he/she has a cold?

[ My baby has had a bad cold/cough for about a week and is scheduled for a shot on Tuesday]

I feel like I am constantly canceling and then waiting another 2 months to get a new appointment but I am very hesitant to give shots when she is already not feeling 100%.
She is already a few months behind schedule.
She has bad reactions and gets sick from them under the best of times.

WWYD.

chaiz

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:47 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Totally cancel and the doctor would tell you the same thing.

FranticFrummie

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 4:47 am

I would for sure reschedule, and I'm not one of those "worrying types."

My pediatrician never gave vaccines when DD was ill. You need to be able to watch for any side effects, and DD would run a slight fever with some of the vaccines. If your child is already sick, you won't have any way of telling what is causing which symptoms.

(Also, you have to wait 2 months for an appointment? That's crazy. You need to go to a practice that actually has time for you.)

smss

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 8:02 am

notshanarishona wrote:

I live in israel so shots are given by tipat chalav and not your dr.
It seems to b typical to have a long wait for appointments.
Last time I cancelled they told me if she doesnt have a fever no reason to cancel and got all upset with me .
I am glad to hear my instinct is normal.

I had the exact same issue, my baby always seemed to get sick right when she had an app't for shots and it ALWAYS took 2 months to get the next one. they do seem to believe if they don't have a fever it's ok...not sure why. you can always try going in when she gets better and asking if anyone can take you, sometimes they will do that if someone has a minute- doesn't take THAT long to give shots.

smss

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 9:39 am

notshanarishona wrote:

Part of the problem seems to be that especially in the winter, she gets sick a lot.
And I do want her to be vaccinated more or less on schedule which doesn't seem to be happening.

I wish there was an easier way to get in without an appointment.
Maybe I will try just showing up.

yes, I know what you mean. the irony is that vaccinating in the SHORT TERM does leave kids more susceptible to illness- for the couple weeks after they get a vaccine, their immune system is busy fighting off THAT disease and therefore they are at increased risk of coming down with other things.

I would take a look at what vaccines she is due for. not all of them are necessarily urgent for a toddler to get and could be delayed until the winter season is over.

amother

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 9:47 am

We give children vaccines all the time if they have a simple cold. None of the pediatricians I work with would tell you to wait if all she has is a simple cold. She may have a cold the entire winter. Will you then wait until summertime to vaccinate? You are then leaving your baby at risk for disease all winter long when she may be more susceptible.

notshanarishona

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 9:52 am

She is up to the 1 year shot- she is closer to 1.5 years.

I hear both sides.. She can have a cold all winter..especially b/c she is around other kids.

But last year she went from a cold to rsv to the ER etc..

I dont want to make her sicker but on the other hand it is true that you can't give all of the shots in the summer as they have to be spaced out.

amother

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 9:53 am

amother wrote:

Absolutely! Call me a fanatic, but I try not to take my kids to the doctor's office at all in the winter. Their annual appts are scheduled during the summer months.

amother

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 3:29 pm

amother wrote:

This. As long as my child does not have fever and their ears are clear they get shots. My friends who use other doctors have the same policy. I am not overjoyed about the idea but I do trust my doctor.

amother

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 3:39 pm

I believe that vaccines are not given when a kid has fever not b/c its dangerous 4 the child but because it wouldnt generate the immune response. shots aim to develop immunity to diseases and if the body is busy fighting the fever its not able to fight the vaccine and get the desired response. ask ur doctor.

naomi2

Sun, Nov 16 2014, 7:36 pm

notshanarishona wrote:

that is not ok either. please speak to your pediatrician if you should be giving any further shots if she has bad reactions to them. and document the reactions. make the dr put it in her file.

amother

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 12:05 am

My pediatrician will not give shots for a week after a child is sick, even for a cold.

Some of my kids had allergic reactions so even at the beginning of a sniffle I will reschedule. I also give only 1 at a time to the kids with allergies, and will not give a booster to a specific shot if they had an allergic reaction to that specific shot.

notshanarishona

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 1:01 am

naomi2 wrote:

that is not ok either. please speak to your pediatrician if you should be giving any further shots if she has bad reactions to them. and document the reactions. make the dr put it in her file.

I have been told that fever, diareha, vomitibg are all normal side affects from vaccines . Is that not typical?

seeker

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 2:51 am

Well first you said she has bad reactions, not typical. Fever and diarrhea are normal in moderation, I'm told fever can be high but shouldn't last more than a day or two, and diarrhea also should not last long or be severe/painful. Never heard of the vomiting. But if my child seemed generally sensitive to vaccines in this way I would be very wary of giving them at all, and at the very least would try giving one at a time to see if that helps or if we can figure out which one is the trigger.

After having one child who got about a year or more behind because I kept declining due to colds and such, I now think that it is better to have them done even if the child is sniffling. However a "bad cold and cough" as OP describes would be enough of a reason for me to postpone.

Fortunately by us it is easy to get appointments. The advantage of tipat chalav system though is that it is a separate center for well visits so you're not exposed to germy sick kids. I like seeing the same doctor for everything but wish there were some better way to manage keeping healthy and sick kids separate. I think in an office with multiple exam rooms instead of just assigning them in order of arrival/appointments they should designate sick and well rooms (of course you don't want your sick kids either picking up other kids' germs, but certainly a kid who's well shouldn't be at increased risk of getting sick in the first place at a doctor's office. Especially little babies, who both get more frquent checkups and yet are also more susceptible to some illnesses) I have seen offices with separate waiting rooms but in mine it's not enforced, so all the kids are playing with the same toys that are probably not wiped down more than once a day.

Hashem_Yaazor

Mon, Nov 17 2014, 10:45 am

amother wrote:

A body doesn't fight the fever. Fever is an immune response to some type of infection in the body. It's a way for the body to kill off whatever doesn't belong by making it too hot. Fevers are actually a good thing.