Immunizations for 4 month old with cold

amother

White

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:15 am

My baby is four months old and has an appointment today for a regular check up and immunizations. She has had a cold for about a week now, with a runny nose/congestion and coughing. Most of my googling seems to say it’s fine to continue with regular immunizations anyways when there is a common cold, but I feel like I have seen on this site many times that it is a bad idea. What do you think and why? I want to be informed when talking to the pediatrician.

(This is not a debate pro and anti vaccines in general!)

thunderstorm

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:20 am

My pediatrician makes an assessment and decision based on the symptoms and the actual shot she was going to give. Sometimes there is no concern and other times they withhold and ask you to come back when the baby is better.

amother

Fuchsia

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:32 am

thunderstorm wrote:

My dc doctor always said yes it's fine to give even if your child has a cold or ear infection.
I didn't trust their answer so I always waited until my child was well. Op if your doctor waives away your concerns and says is fine ask when would they recommend waiting. If the answer is never, it never interferes it's always fine then I would wait.

amother

Peach

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:36 am

My pediatrician always wants me to come back for immunization once the child is better. Regardless of age.

amother

Pearl

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:52 am

If it's just a runny nose, I would procede with the shots. But if the child is coughing, I would wait.

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:10 am

Why wouldn’t you wait? Your baby’s body is a little run-down now with a cold why would you add more stuff for it to handle? You can always do the vaccine later when she’s feeling better, there’s no must to do it at 4 months, it’s a general schedule. You do what’s safe for your child.

amother

White

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:11 am

So I’m in the waiting room now and I still haven’t decided! Yes there is coughing and congestion. No fever. My doc is very relaxed in general so I feel like he may just say don’t worry about it. I want to come in with the right concerns and questions so he can adress them accordingly.

amother

Peach

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:13 am

amother wrote:

I'm not understanding the need to davka do it today. What will happen if you go back in two weeks for shots?

FranticFrummie

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:14 am

OP, I hope your waiting room has separate areas for sick babies and well-checkup babies.

Please don't let your baby cough on anyone.

(I would reschedule for another day, in my opinion.)

amother

White

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:20 am

Not everyone can afford to take off from work that often...I wish I could just run over next week but it’s not so simple.

If there is a valid reason to wait I will 100%, but if not...

amother

Tan

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 9:25 am

amother wrote:

Not everyone can afford to take off from work that often...I wish I could just run over next week but it’s not so simple.

If there is a valid reason to wait I will 100%, but if not...

if there is a valid reason - your doctor will wait.

hotzenplotz

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 2:21 pm

It is best to wait till the cold is completely gone even if most doctors will tell you it is ok to vaccinate.

amother

Beige

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 4:43 pm

The truth is, chances are that nothing would happen either way.

However, in those rare cases where there ARE vaccine complications, there are usually one or more of the following factors involved:
- Child was sick (even a cold) when vaccine given
- Many vaccines given at once
- Child had a bad reaction to a previous vaccine

Considering that presumably the vaccine is not URGENT, why not try to minimize complications?

(You may be able to arrange to drop in after work and have a nurse administer the vaccine, without an appointment necessary. It only takes a few minutes.)

amother

Peach

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 6:09 pm

amother wrote:

Not everyone can afford to take off from work that often...I wish I could just run over next week but it’s not so simple.

If there is a valid reason to wait I will 100%, but if not...

I get it. This is why I use a doctor with evening hours, so I can do late appointments if necessary. It's not always easy to plan, but that's life. Like I said, my pediatrician doesn't even ask. She does the physical and determines based on that whether they'll be injecting that day or I should go back in x time.

lovetobemommy

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 6:21 pm

Since my kids are full time nursing I usually don't start vaccinating before 6 month, my doctor would never vaccinate a child who is even slightly sick even if it's just a red eye

amother

Purple

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 7:44 pm

I would wait.
How can a run down body handle vaccines?
The immune system needs to be functioning properly to be able to build up immunity.
I don’t understand.

amother

Mint

Tue, Mar 05 2019, 8:34 pm

lovetobemommy- I thought that nursing doesn't mean that children don't need vaccines? I just scheduled my dd for her 4month appointment even though it's really 5 months...