[coolcat]

I recently came to know that I missed some vaccinations for my 3 year old son.

1. Prevnar

2. IPV. (I have given him oral polio vaccine ...but never IPV…is this vaccine essential now ...if yes then in how many doses it can be given now?)

3. Hib booster

Should I give him injections now?

any doctors in this forums ,please help me .

regards
-Ira

[tikka]

Ira, Prevnar is optional and is most effective only for children below the age of 2.
OPV vs IPV OPV vs IPV This is something I read when our paed changed our son's polio vaccine from OPV to IPV. Your and your paed's call, basically.
I am not sure about HiB boosters. Are you not done with 4 shots before the child turns 18 months (we had ours till almost the second year)? The booster between 18 months and 5 years seems to be a CDC recommendation meant specifically for the US. After being done with all his vaccs, our paed asked us to come back for vaccs only when he turns 5! Is the new booster dose an IAP recommendation too? TIA.

[Aadhusmom]

You dont need Prevnar or Hib at 3 years. IPV - let me look up IAP guidelines and get back.

Ok - this is what the IAP says:

Child who has completed primary series of OPV: IPV may be offered as catch up vaccination for children less than 5 years of age who have completed primary immunization with OPV. IPV can be given as three doses; 2 doses at 2 month interval followed by a third dose 6 months after the first dose.

That means you need to give 3 doses of IPV at 0,2 and 6 months (0 being the start date at which you give dose 1).

V.

[coolcat]

Thanks a lot for replying tikka and aadhusmom .

Aadhusmom’s I have a question to ask you. What do you mean when you say “You dont need Prevnar or Hib booster at 3 years” sorry I could not get you..
You mean to say that these vaccines don’t have any effect now since my child has already crossed the age limit of vaccine administration.

Will these vaccines ( Prevnar or Hib booster )harm/side effects if I give them now ??

Can you please explain me? I will be highly grateful to you..
I don’t want my child to miss any important vaccine.

Regards
-Ira

[Aadhusmom]

Both Pneumococci (which is what Prevnar protects you from) and H influenza B (which is what the HiB vaccine protects you from) are far more serious in children under 2 years of age. Also unimmunized children usually develop natural immunity to HiB and many strains of pneumococci by the time they are 2 and so both vaccines are not recommended for children over 3. It is not a question of safety but of giving vaccines which are unnecessary. Its always good policy to reduce vaccines to the ones children really need and not give every vaccine available simply because it is available. That last sentence is not official but my own persoanl philosophy

V.

[coolcat]

thanks Aadhusmom for a detailed explanation ..it was really helpful ...

i think i will give him IPV vaccine only ..

thanks again