Delayed vax schedule...how do you decide?

[MunchiesMom]

I regretfully started my son off on the recommended vacation schedule because I was uneducated and a victim of mainstream parenting. When he turned one I wised up and have been on a delayed/no vaxing schedule ever since. Mostly because I can't tell what's safe/nesseaasary and what's not.

He turns three this spring and is due for the following... can you help me pick which one we'll do at his next WBV? I will be fully research before hand. Any resources you can suggest?

MMR (waiting until he's five)
Hep A
Prevnar 13
Hib


TIA!!!

[HannahW]

Dr. Sears has some good info. I sort of follow his schedual.

[carriebft]

At three, I would do one dose of hib and prevnar and be done with those. The risk of invasive disease with hib after 3 is low, but it is not nonexistant- disease due to pneumoccocal after 3 is much more problematic. I would still do hib though because the vaccine is very effective and safe (and if you go with acthib you dont even get aluminum if that is an issue for you). 3-5 year olds are still at high risk for pneumonia, meningitis and epiglotitis if they do contract hib. You will only need one dose of each at this age.

DtaP is a good one at this age because it reduces the severity of or prevents pertussis. you would need a 4 dose series with that one.

Hep A is a common VPD in the states but its more common in certain areas and definitely outside the USA in places like central america. Typically it is an easy disease for children to deal with but, as a child gets older, it can be more problematic. It isn't recommended for all children, just those in risk groups (such as traveling to central america)

For resources, I love just using pubmed or google scholar and reading source material. You can start with something like Dr Sears and then go to the source material to see what it actually says.

[MunchiesMom]

Thank you both. I somewhat followed Dr. Sears' delayed schedule but got off track and bullied by the peds so I didn't know what to do next

Carriebft- if I follow your advice and go ahead with HIV and Prevenar to get those done, should I do them at the same time? After DS turned one I tried to do one vacation at a time.

[carriebft]

I have read that prevnar tends to have the side effect of fever more often than other vaccines. So if you are already planning on per visit, you could take that into account and keep with it. so Prevnar one visit and then go back next month for hib and then you are done with both.