[Verncait]

Hi everyone,
Our baby was born last November and came home the end of December. She had received her first Synagis shot while still in the NICU and they continued until April of this year. I just called her pediatrician to find out when the RSV season begins and when they will start the shots. As it turns out, the dr stated that since Alaina hasn't had a need for oxygen or been hospitalized in the last six months and is older than six months old she no longer qualifies for the Synagis shots. Have you guys been told the same thing or do I need to pursue this issue further? I would truly hate for her to come down with RSV especially since it can be prevented and it would alleviate a lot of stress. She did suffer a mild case of it back in March, but the shots prevented it from being life threatning. What is your feeling on this?
Linda

[bumpkin]

I will eagerly await responses to this question. My twins were born last November 9 weeks early and received the same shots. I assumed they were only for the first year.

Bumpkin

[Mommy2amiracle]

Hi, Linda!

My son is a November baby also and received the Synagis shots his first year. He did not receive any last year and did just fine. I think that you can get them if you want, but most insurances won't cover the second round and they are around $1500 a shot

[ACMSD]

Hello. I am a nurse but I also have two premature babies, one born at 33 weeks and another one born at 26 weeks. After much needed research, and the doctor's advice, it was decided that it is much better if you little ones GET THE SHOTS. As for coveage, usually a note from the doctor written to the insurance company forces them to cover it. It did in both cases for me. If you need medical information, please feel free to PM me, I will help in anyway that I can.

In addition, you may also contact the county due to the fact that they often have program that may get you the injections that your little ones need. Usually, the cost is either a small fee or any. Please remember that all counties are different, but these types of programs have been offered for awhile now.

ACMSD

[surfmama]

Just got back from my Pediatrician and he recommended for our baby a round this year and next year based on her extreme prematurity. Seems the insurance companies don't like to approve it for second year if the baby is 31-32 weeks gestation at birth.

[bumpkin]

Do these shots need to be started now? i don't have a ped appt till November?

Bumpkin

[surfmama]

It will depend on when your RSV season starts. We are planning to start our daughter's the end of October. And, of course, make sure everyone else in the household gets their flu shot!

[Verncait]

Thanks for your replies. I'm going to call the dr. again tomorrow to see what we can do about getting the shots. I would just feel much more comfortable with the shots.

Bumpkin, I believe the RSV season is generally from Oct - Apr.
Linda

[surfmama]

BTW, some insurance companies and usually medicaid, require pre-authorization for this. So, you might want to start getting that now to be ready for end of October.

[MamaHolly]

My doctor told us that each year there are new guidelines put out by the CDC (I think that's who does it) who decided who can get the shots. She said that she thinks Cheyenne will be a candidate since she got had to be hospitalized for it last year, had to be on O2 for a month after it, and now has "reactive airway disease." If a child doesn't qualify, I don't what you can do about pushing it. If you wanted to pay out of pocket you might be allowed to, but my doctor made it sound like she had to go by the guidelines she was given. They also vary when they start and stop giving the shots by how much RSV is going around.
How sick was Alaina when she had RSV? I think RSV is hyped up a bit, some kids do get very sick with it, but from what I have seen, for most it is just bad cold. I will be a nervouse reck if Cheyenne can't get it this year, when she had it last spring the doctors were shocked she didn't need to be intubated. She didn't have reactive airway disease before RSV, so I don't know if the RSV caused it or if RAD made her RSV worse.
Holly

[Verncait]

Alaina didn't get too sick from the RSV. She had bad cold symptoms and a little difficulty breathing. The Child Care center called my husband and said that she had a fever of 100 so, he took her to the emergency room. They did tests and said that she didn't have RSV, but gave her a thing to breath in to make breathing easier (an enebulizer sp?). The only way we found out that it was RSV is that she was having problems with her white blood cells being low. We had to take her to an oncologist (who scared the pee pee out of me!). She thought that Alaina might have some type of rare blood disease because the cells were immature. Thankfully, the hemotologist studied the blood and said that because she had a small case of RSV that her white cells were working overtime and causing her blood cells to be immature. They also took her off of the Reflux medicine because it causes low white blood count. Everything turned out fine, but it was such a nightmare to live through!
Linda

[MamaHolly]

Linda-
Oh, I remember you talking about the oncologist now, I didn't realize that coincided with the RSV. That would have caused me to panic! Thank God it turned out OK. Didn't the oncologist tell you to spend a last weekend with her before she would be checked in for major tests?
Some how I am less scared of RSV now that Cheyenne has had it once. Oh, and I forgot to mention this sooner. After Cheyenne had RSV and was hospitalized her hospitalist and pulmonolgist said she didn't need to get any more shots for the rest of the season. But our pediatrician, who I adore, had just read new research that said that RSV can be contracted twice in the same season so she should get more shots.
I was also surprised at how often RT and other medical staff thought synagis was a vaccine. They were surprised Cheyenne came down with it at all. Some how that didn't inspire my faith in them! The nurse who arranges the shots is suppose to call us once the guidelines are out. We are all suppose to get flu shots too.
Holly

[Verncait]

Hi Holly,
Yes, all of that coincided. I wasn't quite in a panic but I did break down and cry in front of my entire office. I felt like such a putz! I hate to cry in front of anybody! And to do it in front of a bunch of professional folks (mostly ex-military)! Egad!
I think I read a story in one of the preemie books I had gotten that a lady's baby had gotten RSV 3 times within an 18 month time span. But, I also read that generally subsequent occurences are most often less severe than the first, unless major scaring has happend. I guess I'm not too scared, but would like to take necessary precautions where I can. I'm more afraid of "rare blood diseases"!
We are also all going to get the flu shots as soon as they are available.

[momtutu]

Timothy will be receiving synagis shots this year as well. In fact he starts them on Thursday. My doctor's office called us to remind us to make an appointment for his first shot. He was extremely premature though so that is probably why he is starting now instead of in October. A baby in his special needs daycare has already contracted RSV and is in the hospital. His bed is right next to Timothy's so I am glad we are going in on Thursday. It makes me feel better knowing he is protected.
Lisa

[BrandyHagz]

If you need medical information, please feel free to PM me, I will help in anyway that I can.

If you need medical information, it’s best to contact your Primary Care Physician. The Internet is great for gathering basic information, but when it comes to the health of yourself or your family, it’s always best to seek the advice from a tangible third party, rather than an anonymous figure from the Internet.

I am in no way stating that the person who posted the above is false, I am just posting sound advice. In recent months, we’ve discovered that at least one person on the forums who was offering medical opinion, was not who she claimed to be.