VACCINES FOR

Birth to 2 months of age

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Instructions:

1. Read the box below to see if your child's vaccine are up to date.
2. If your child's vaccine are not up to date, follow the directions on when to get the next vaccines.
3. You may get your vaccines at your pediatrician's office or at the local health department.
4. Please recognize that your pediatrician may not follow this schedule exactly for a very good reason in your particular child's case. At the same time though, please be very resistant to letting your pediatrician defer your child's vaccines unless there is a very good reason. Having a minor illness is NOT a reason to defer any vaccine.

Hepatitis B

High risk of exposure: Infants born to a mother whom is a carrier for Hepatitis B, health care workers and chronic health care facility patients, hemodialysis patients, patients whom receive blood products, household contacts of those with carriers, international travel, intravenous drug users, prisoners. Low risk is everyone else.

Special circumstance: If the biologic mother is a carrier of Hepatitis B, then the infant would receive the Hepatitis B vaccine and the Hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth. Should more time elapse, then they would be given ASAP. The immune globulin may be given up to 1 week of age if the biologic mother was later discovered to be a carrier.

* The 3rd dose may be given as early as 2 months from the 2nd in this circumstance, but some may then give a 4th dose a year later. This should be discussed with your pediatrician.

TRAVEL

The DT / DPT / aDPT and Polio may be given as early as 4 weeks of age and as close as 8 weeks apart. The Hib vaccine may be given as early as 6 weeks of age and as early as 4 weeks apart, but this is not optimal. The vaccines do not work as well when given less than 6 weeks apart, therefore if your child may have a high risk of exposure, then as many vaccines as possible will be given before travel. See the other section on travel. This definitely requires consultation with your physician, especially at this age.

DISCLAIMER

This web site is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. In providing this site, the author is not engaged in rendering medical or any other professional service. Individual conditions may vary and the information contained herein should not be relied upon for the diagnosis and/or treatment of any particular individual. If medical advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Copyright 2005 Joe Matusic, MD. This document may be freely copied and distributed, providing there is no charge for duplication or the material and this copyright notice remains affixed.