Vaccinating a 9 yo for the first time - which ones are most important? - Page 2

[serenbat]

I didn't see anyone mention and not sure if you know but in the US  tetanus is a combo- you can't get it split up so you are giving more there.

[Attila the Honey]

I want her to get the chicken pox vaccine because she hasn't yet caught it and I know it can be a serious to get it in your teens and adult years.  I want her to get a DTaP primarily to prevent Tetanus, which scares me, so maybe I might just do a tetanus shot..  I want her to get HiB, Hepatitis, Pneumococcal and Meningococcal, and HPV because I feel these diseases are serious and scary, as well.  MMR and Polio, well, I am less concerned with but I am not entirely sure I should be.  What else is there?  Rotavirus does not concern me one bit.  And I don't know how I feel about the flu vaccine.

So, the short answer is because now that dd is older and "out in the world" more and more, and now that she hasn't naturally come down with some of the childhood disease, I feel it's more imprtant to vaccinate.

[Rrrrrachel]

You couldn't get the rotavirus vaccine at her age even if you wanted to.

[Attila the Honey]

Originally Posted by Rrrrrachel 

You couldn't get the rotavirus vaccine at her age even if you wanted to.

Well, then good thing I don't want it.  LOL   But, that makes total sense.

[kathymuggle]

Why don't you make a chart - diseases that you feel are scary and she is likely to get  might be first to vax for?

I would read over all the discussions on HPV lately.  I do not vax, but even if I did, I would have second thoughts on this vaccines. A few pro-vax people expressed hesitation around that vaccine…..

Good luck with your appointment!  Spread em out an make sure she is not ill at all when you do them (I am sure you know this, but just in case……)

[MichelleZB]

Yeah, I always thought that the thing about Rubella wasn't that it was really serious when you got it, but that it could kill a fetus if you got it during your pregnancy, and for that reason, they recommend women of childbearing age stay up to date on their MMR.

Just make sure she gets polio. It's not prevalent here, but it is still common in some parts of the world. And it's really, really serious.

As for the flu shot, that's not a vaccine you decide on once. You have to get it every year (or not). So she can make that decision for herself once a year as an adult.

[TalkToMeNow]

Hey, Attila! I am in the same situation. I did not vax my 8 yo and 10 yo. When I got pregnant with my now 1 yo, I decided to rethink my decision and do some more research. I now feel that vaccines are safe and helpful. My 1 yo is being fully vaxed. Anyway, I made a plan with my girls' doctor concerning getting them caught up. My priorities are diseases I feel pose a threat to my dds, and diseases I feel they could potentially spread to the immunocompromised or infants. So I started with MMR, Tdap, and Varicella. My reasoning was the potential spread of measles and pertussis to others and the risk of contracting chicken pox. I do not have their records or my plan with me at the moment, but the next step was/ is polio.  My lowest priority is Hep B, as I do not think they are at risk. However, they will probably eventually get it. I haven't looked into HPV yet, but I believe it and MCV aren't due yet anyway. I could be leaving some out! We are still at the beginning of the process.

As for what my girls' think, I sat them down and explained the decision I made when they were babies and the way I feel now. I was not going to force vaccinations on them, but I did tell them how important I felt it was that they get vaccinated. They both agreed. I also let them help choose the schedule. My 8 yo wants no more than two shots per visit, so she has to go pretty frequently. My 10 yo wants less visits, so she had four shots at her first visit. The 8 yo had a mild reaction to Tdap (low fever, sore arm), and my 10 yo has been fine. 

Good luck!