vaccinations

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sarahdcl

Registered User
Hello,
I have been doing some research regarding vaccinating our baby and feel like I am not finding any answers. I am hoping someone has been in the same boat and can help out a bit.
I have a few questions...
1) Are there any pediatricians that do not use combination vaccines or will get the individual vaccines for you?
2) It seems that most pediatricians/ hospitals use gsk is there anyone that uses sanofi pasteur vaccines?
3) Is there a doctor that will let you pick the brand name of the vaccine you need?
I appreciate the help in advance.
 
i have no idea about the first two questions as we do all of our vaccinations via the gov't MCHCs.... but for the last one, you may be having issues because medicinal brand names vary according to region.

ie) panadol is a british brand, the same medicine in the USA/Canada is Tylenol. it's exactly the same medicine, but different brand names.

advil= USA/Canada, Nurofen=UK, Ibuprofen= medicinal name (i just go for the generic ibuprofen, myself... brand name only makes a difference in price).
 
Yes, different doctors do have access to different brands of vaccines and that will get individual, rather than combination, vaccines for you. We did decide, with our pediatrician, which vaccines, and brands of vaccines, to give our child.

You may need to call around a bit to find a doc who has exactly what you are looking for.
 
Hi Elle,
Thank you for your response.
The doctors that have been recommended to me that I have contacted are not willing to buy other vaccines or not do a combination vaccination. I have also contacted sanofi pasteur for help but after a month of back and forth I got no where.
I'm hoping maybe you might have some names I could try?
Thanks again.
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Try Dr Richard Chiu - 2810 7018. We did pick the brand we used from several that he stocked. He also follows the US vaccine schedule rather than the HK one for us without making a fuss (several other prominent HK paeds refused to deviate from the HK government vaccination schedule).

Will also ask around - you might also want to try the HK moms Facebook group for more suggestions:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/164926140213599/
 
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Great, thank you for your help. I will try the Facebook group and give Dr. Chiu's office a call.
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Where can I find a vaccination schedule that includes the optional vaccinations such as chicken pox and other vaccinations that are not provided by the government clinics?
 
Here is the NHS recommended schedule:

http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/vaccinations/Pages/Vaccinationchecklist.aspx

Here is the CDC recommended schedule:

http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/downloads/rec-iz-babies.pdf

Here are a couple alternate US schedules, with chicken pox:

http://www.babycenter.com/immunization-scheduler

http://www.pampers.com/your-baby-s-complete-immunization-schedule

You can also get a schedule with optional vaccines from most private pediatricians, or from a private hospital like Matilda.
 
We deviated from the government schedule slightly and the nurses were ok with it. We chose to wait a few months to do the MMR so just did the pneumococcal one at 12 months and they were fine with that. They asked why but they won't do it unless you consent so they just scheduled the appt for MMR at 15 months.
 
Interesting discussion.

BTW is vaccination mandatory in HK? Will kindergarten or school be available for a child who doesn't have a part or all recommended vaccines?
 
As far as Im aware the reason you can't select individual vaccines is not usually down to the GP but the drug company. Most of them only supply vaccines in combined form, so it is difficult to pick and tailor make your vaccine programme.

Vaccination is not mandatory and surely schooling is available for unvaccinated children - they are the ones 'at risk' without the vaccines after all.
 
happiness said:
Vaccination is not mandatory and surely schooling is available for unvaccinated children - they are the ones 'at risk' without the vaccines after all.
Click to expand...

I would definitely check with individual schools regarding which vaccinations they require - the two preschools that my child has attended have both required vaccination records before she could begin classes. So do most of the international schools. Don't know about the local schools so perhaps someone else can provide info on that.

RE: the unvaccinated children being the only ones 'at risk' - not quite true as they can pose a risk to the community at large by spreading the disease to others (often before identifiable symptoms develop), including infants who are to young to have received a particular vaccination and the small percentage of the population who has received a vaccination which is not effective for whatever reason (for example, the measles vaccine is about 96% effective in the US, so 4% of vaccinated children would be put at risk if they were exposed).

I'm not advocating that anyone do or don't vaccinate their children - it is ultimately a parent's decision, but don't pretend that there is no risk to public health from unvaccinated children, as certainly is. For example:

"The evidence is overwhelming that declining vaccination rates are contributing to outbreaks of disease. Take just one example, measles. The World Health Organization reports outbreaks in countries where vaccination rates have gone down, including France (7,000 cases so far this year, more than in all of 2010), Belgium, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Macedonia and Turkey. There have already been 334 measles cases in England and Wales this year, compared with 33 all of last year. The U.S. has seen 118 cases as of mid-May, compared with 56 cases a year from 2001 to 2008."

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/18/opinion/la-oe-ropeik-vaccines-20110718
 
elle said:
I would definitely check with individual schools regarding which vaccinations they require - the two preschools that my child has attended have both required vaccination records before she could begin classes. So do most of the international schools. Don't know about the local schools so perhaps someone else can provide info on that.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/18/opinion/la-oe-ropeik-vaccines-20110718
Click to expand...

I second this with regard to international kindergartens, and some Cantonese medium ones. I applied to four and I checked out several others and all required a copy of vaccination card as part of the application. So while there might be some schools willing to accept a child that does not have the usual vaccines, I have a feeling it would narrow your choice.
 
The kindergartens and schools do ask for a copy of vaccination records but I have deviated significantly from the standard schedule (refusing some, delaying some and having some as per recommended schedule) and this hasn't caused any problems.with our applications and admission.
 
Silly question here, but where do you go for the baby's vaccinations? Your family doctor or local hospital? Is the cost of the vaccination covered under the government health scheme?

Also, we are planning to deliver in Japan and will stay there another month before coming back to HK. Based on the HK prescribed vaccination schedule, the first one will occur at birth and month one. As we will be in Japan, we may get the first two shot there - will this pose any problems? Has anyone encountered a similar situation?
 
we used the MCHC (maternal & child health clinic) provided by the gov't. i don't think they cost anything, that i can remember...
 
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