please fill me in

[mom2tig99Nroo03]

on thevax for rsv. because ds was peemie he wants to start the rsv shots. we arent doing the traditional schedule if we do them at all (leaning towards none since both of my fullterm kids had rxns.

pls tell me all u know about it. i'm very limited on time between pumping, fortifying, bottlefeeding, washing parts and bottles etc (lather rinse repeat) grabbing a mouthful of food at every chance, trying to manage my bp issues and headaches and still get a little sleep every day.

[LoisLane]

I think the RSV shots are different from most vaccines -- I read up on it briefly when pregnant with twins, who ended up (happily) full term so it became a non-issue. I am sure another person will know more, but what I recall is that the RSV shots provide infection fighting antibodies (immuno-something?), and for a preemie, are probably worth it.

[amnesiac]

Synagis isn't actually a vaccine, it's antibody:
http://www.medimmune.com/pdf/products/synagis_pi.pdf

I think that there are some older threads here you might like to check out if you will search the forum for "synagis".

[2boyzmama]

Yes, it's an immunoglobulin, given every 28 days during RSV season. Did you cross post in the NICU and/or Special Needs forum? Lots of mamas there have had experience with it.

Synagis is the only "vaccine" Connor's had (and it's not really a vaccine in the traditional sense) and even with it, he's had RSV twice. BUT, he wasn't admitted either time, which is amazing considering his other health issues (an immune deficiency, several airway malformations, failure to thrive, etc) I would do Synagis again in a heartbeat if I had a child who qualified for it.

If you search for the package insert, or visit the manufacturer's webpage, you'll find that there are studies available on kids of varying health statuses, unlike other vaccines where they're not tested on preemies or special needs kids.

Connor had no problems with the shots, although he did get very sick after the first dose (we assume that he got sick while at the hospital getting the shot, so from then on we had a home nurse come to our house and administer it, it doesn't make a lot of sense to take the most at-risk kids and have them all in the same waiting room during RSV season, you know?!)

They are expensive, so make sure you talk to your insurance company about it. If your insurance won't fully cover, ask your local Early Intervention progam if they have any financial assistance in cases like this. The hospital or ped might be able to tell you, too.