Starting DTaP series in 4.5 yo...

[california_mom]

I have not allowed ds any vaccination to date except the DTaP. He got his first DTaP shot a couple days ago. No side effects besides the bruise (and a lot of crying).

My question is why the "catch up" schedule for DTaP is a shot one month apart for the first three shots rather than two months apart like the infant schedule.

Does anyone recommend anything different than shots one or two months apart? I would prefer three months apart if the efficacy is not affected... but I have not seen any studies to validate that idea.

[ma2two]

The catch up schedule shows the closest possible spacing for vaccine doses. You can space the doses as far apart as you want to. "The figure below provides catch-up schedules and minimum intervals between doses for children whose vaccinations have been delayed. A vaccine series does not need to be restarted, regardless of the time that has elapsed between doses."

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/catchup-schedule-pr.pdf (top of page)

[california_mom]

Nice. Thanks. I failed to read the small print :)  Actually, I should say that I relied on my son's doctor's asst for information. Silly me. I should know better!

[ACsMom]

yeah, I have a 2.5 y/o who had her first vaccine 3 months ago, and it was DTaP.  They recommended the one month apart schedule, but we waited 3 months before the 2nd one.  Unfortunately she did have a reaction this time, so we'll be even more cautious from now on, but the point is that waiting longer between shots (for DTaP anyway) is not going to compromise immunity. 
 

[california_mom]

Yikes. What was her reaction?  And what are you going to do differently?