[MyColony]

We have been trying to get any kind of medical records for Lil J since he was placed with us in March.

When he was removed, the mom was sketchy regarding the records. It turns out that by coincidence, the mom also picked the same HMO that I picked.

Well, after trying to get the info from doctors, etc, I contacted our Health Care Coordintor (think that is the title), and he was able to go through all the claims for Lil J since his birth - again just a major coincidence that it was the same provider.

Turns out that just about every single claim was for a sick visit - to the ER! She was using the ER as her own personal doctor. And nothing ER worthy either, things like vomitting, fever, cough, etc.

He was never seen in the ER for major things like injury, extreme illness, etc.

The only billable "well child visit" was 3 weeks after his birth. So, now at 3 years old, according to the insurance company, they have never paid for any vaccinations except for the one at 3 weeks old.

I can not register him in pre-school and now I really have to be super careful where he goes. Oh yeah, and I am having a baby in the fall that is obviously more prone to getting illnesses because um, it is a newborn with no immunities.

Now, I understand that some people choose not to vaccinate their children - but I don't think this is the case, I just think she never thought it was a big deal.

Ugh - I am just so frustrated. I just put a call in to our Ped's office to find out what we should do.

Anyone deal with this type of situation?

[Joei_in_NJ]

did the Ped's office call you? I know that they can spread out the shots until he can get caught up - sorry you're going thru this

[msgypsylee]

Just call the ped. They can get him on a catch up schedule for his Vax. Also don't worry too much about your new infant. If you will be breast feeding, the baby will get immunity from you through the breast milk. Congrats on the new baby!!

[mamala]

You have way less to worry about than it may feel like at the moment. I have a 5yo that is med exempt (since his 6mo shots) and a 7mo that is not exempt, but they are delaying due to neuro complications that they don't want to risk making worse.

My 5yo has always been in daycare/preschool settings until right before he was 5yo and has an immune deficiency. He's only been hospitalized once and looking back, it was stupid.

We live in a community with a HIGH immigrant population and are regularly on the playgrounds to boot.

I'm not saying it's non-issue. I'm just saying that getting sick with something they vax for such that you're in REALLY big trouble care-wise is a relatively tiny chance. And actually, if the foster child isn't vaxed, you're actually in better shape with the baby: if that kid's carrying something he's going to get sick whereas a vax'd kid can be carrying something and not show sign of illness (which is the issue I face with an unvax'd kid).

And even if you don't breastfeed, infants carry maternal antibodies for at least 6 months. Breastfeeding does nothing more than protect the digestive tract--although that's a MAJOR point of entry for illness. I'm extremely pro-bfing (and nursed my bio until he was 4yo) but I did the research when being interviewed by NBC. Even I was a little surprised at the misconception.

The ped will put them on a catch-up schedule. It's a little bit of a PITA for you because it's a few more trips to the ped; but a lot of times they won't need the same number of rounds of shots. They have to do so many of them when they're young because their immune system isn't stabilized and the remaining maternal antibodies interfere. After 2yo, this isn't the case anymore--so ask the Dr. if he will need the same NUMBER of the shots for immunity since he's so much older. Of course, you may get a Dr. that doesn't know one way or the other. Many of them won't tell you that you can titer for MMR immunity instead of get the subsequent shots (by law in NJ, due to a child's death).

If the ped writes a note, it should be enough for entry into a daycare. Not everything on the CDC vax schedule is required for entry into daycare OR public school (although all peds will say it is, you can look up on the Dept. of Ed website and see that they are not. The peds have no clue--they're not working in the schools!)