Excerpts of Live Chat with Dr. Indu Khosla:  Vaccination 101 for Your Baby: 0-3 Months (Part 2)

Excerpts of Live Chat with Dr. Indu Khosla: Vaccination 101 for Your Baby: 0-3 Months (Part 2)

21 Aug 2017 | 7 min Read

Babychakra

Author | 1369 Articles

In case you missed out on this super informative  chat about your baby’s vaccines with the pediatrician, Dr Indu Khosla, here’s an excerpt for you to catch up!

 

Q. My baby is having cold, can I give him DTP3  HIP3 and IPV3 vaccine?

A. Mild cold/fever is not a contra-indication for vaccination. You can proceed.

 

Q. Is giving a polio vaccine up to 5 years necessary? Is it normal or do we have to give some syrup or medicine?

A. Yes. Polio is required both for protection against polio and for eradicating Polio from India altogether.

 

Q. My daughter is 1 month and have got 3 vaccinations done on the very next day of her birth. Doctor asked me to get the next vaccination done after 45 days. May I know how many and which vaccinations I’ve to get done this time? And which vaccines have been given already to my daughter? There are 3 vaccines written on her health card but they are illegible.

A. At 6 weeks, you need the following: polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis B, rotavirus, HIB and pneumococcus. Some are not given in government facility but are good vaccines and hence should be given. Please consult your pediatrician. It will be difficult to comment without seeing the file. Would be best if you check with the hospital for details.

 

Q. Can you please clear why not to give painless vaccination, aren’t they helpful? Why to give baby discomfort and pain when our medical science is got advanced with painless? Please help.

A. Vaccination is important. Both DTwP (painful) and DTaP (less painful) are almost equal in efficiency. You can choose either based on your comfort. Please consult your pediatrician but make sure you go for vaccination.

 

Q. My boy will be 4 months old soon. During the second vaccination, i.e. when he was 3 months old, I applied ice pack after vaccination. But the site of injection on his leg became very hard and had a light green spot too. I went to doctor, he gave thrombophob ointment to apply, but it didn’t show any difference and the area is hard again after the next vaccination. What to do? Please advise.

A. If the area is not painful, please don’t worry. It will subside on its own.

 

Q. I missed the first dose of Rotavirus vaccine. Now my baby is 5.5 month old, when should I go for the second dose? Also, can missing the first vaccination harm my baby?

A. The Rotavirus vaccine is supposed to be administered within 4 months of age. If your child has not yet been given the vaccine even once then do not give the vaccine now as s/he is too old for it. The rotavirus vaccine prevents rotaviral diarrhea. Your child is a at a greater risk compared to other children who have been given the vaccine. The child will develop natural immunity against the virus with age.

 

Q. My son is six months old. He was given BCG at the time of birth. But there is no visible mark…Is it ok if there’s no mark? Please advise.

A. That is alright. As long as the vaccine has been administered properly, it is absolutely fine even if there is no swelling. 

 

Q. Dr. Will vaccines really protect my baby from all the diseases?

A. Vaccinations are known to prevent kids from multiple serious potential diseases. There are multiple studies to show the usefulness of getting vaccinated. This technology has saved thousands of lives. Please do not skip any of the mandatory vaccinations prescribed for your child.

 

Q. 3 vaccinations done up to 3 and half months. What should be their cost? These all are painful. And when is the next vaccination?

A. The cost of vaccination depends upon the brand and what you have opted for. Next vaccination is at 6 months of age.

 

Q. I am 9 months pregnant. My baby is going to arrive soon. For vaccination, should we go to a government or private hospital? How to relieve baby of the pain after the vaccination is done?

A. All the best for your delivery! Both private and government can be opted. Private hospitals have a few additional vaccinations, so you can go there if you can afford it. However, vaccination is very important so please ensure you go for it. Please don’t worry about the pain after vaccination. It is very small as compared to the benefits of vaccination.

 

Q. Which are the important ones among optional vaccines?

A. Pneumococcal and Rotavirus

 

Q. My baby is very premature we came across high risk baby vaccine. What is it and what all diseases does it immunize against? My baby has been given all vaccines till date. His corrected age is 9 months. Please advise the special vaccines needed for high risk babies. I am told that their immunity develops very slowly, so they have higher chances of infections.

A. High risk in the baby is defined as a condition when either the mother carries certain diseases or the child has certain predisposition to diseases. Certain babies are given flu vaccines if the baby had an eventful neonatal period. Certain protections are offered against respiratory virus (IRV) abroad. However, they are not available in India.

 

Q. My baby is 4 months old and has completed sets of triple vaccine. Is it necessary to give pneumonia conjugate vaccine and when will it be given to baby?

A. Yes you should give. It is good to give protection against pneumococcal (so called pneumonia vaccine) and can be given now but only a month after the previous set of vaccinations.

 

Q. Can vaccine be given when baby has fever less than 100 degrees F?

A. Yes you can give the vaccine.

 

Q. My little one had her vaccination day before yesterday and today she is passing green stool. Please help.

A. Green stool is not related to vaccination. In some cases, it is completely normal. Please consult your pediatrician if it persists.

 

Q. Isn’t painful better because you know that the vaccine has worked?

A. Pain and vaccination efficiency have no correlation.

 

Q. How to soothe baby after vaccination or, calm him from the pain and fever he is suffering for the entire day?

A. Simply give paracetamol in prescribed doses based on his age and repeat in 4-6 hours. Consult your pediatrician if symptoms persist.

 

Q. My question may be absurd but I have noticed a significant difference in my baby’s nature after vaccination. Previously he was very calm. After vaccination on 21st June, he became very unmanageable and cried all the time for full 1 month. After the next vaccination on 21st July, he is calm again! I don’t know if really something is related to vaccination or is it just my illusion?

A. Some vaccines cause extreme irritability but not beyond 2-3 days. Hence, if you notice the behavior beyond that time, please consult a pediatrician.

 

Q. Is Rotavirus vaccine given to only those babies whose birth weight is 2.9 kg or is given to all babies?

A. Rotavirus vaccine is to be given at 6 weeks of age and the weight of the baby has no correlation with the vaccine. Hence it can be administered.

 

Disclaimer: This Live Q&A is part of Sanofi Pasteur’s educational initiative on vaccines. The views expressed in the Live Q&A are solely those of the doctor.

 

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