MMR Immunization - Split Shots or Not

It is a personal choice. I split all my shots up. I feel that the babies are given too much at one time. So I talked about it with my dr and we basicly have changed it so my daughter gets one shot every 4-6 weeks or so. So, my MMR will be broken up too.

I just went through all this so let me tell you what I know... I too, was very nervous about the MMR as one shot. I decided to split them up and found a pediatrician that was willing to do this. As she got close to one year, the office told me they had to order in bunches of 10 and so basically I would have to pay for 30 shots. I was furious, needless to say, after doing so much research on pediatricians before she was born and spending one whole year on going to this pediatrician that had just lied to me. After all, I was told I could split the shots starting when I interviewed them before my daughter was born, with no mention of paying for 30 shots.

I am a part of a Mom's group through meetup.com, and after posting my fury about what happened, they all suggested switching docs. I asked them for recs and more than 5 of them recommended Dr. Mike Scheade (spelling). He not only breaks up the shots, but he has them stocked in his office and you only pay for the one you are given. My daughter got the mumps shot on Tuesday and will be given the measles in a month and a half and the rubella a short time after that. To be fair, it broke my heart at how much pain she was in from the shot. It seemed to hurt more than the others.

You will def want to ask your doc if he/she splits them and if so, if you will be required to pay for the bunch. If so, you may want to switch docs so you can be on an shot schedule thats right for YOU. If you want more info for Dr. Mike Scheade (spell?), he has offices in Streamwood and Elgin... not sure where else (I think there is at least one other office, but not sure). I think the one in Streamwood says "Associates in Pediatrics" above the door. Personally, I prefer the Elgin office off Randal more. It is a new building and very nice!

Downfall for him- he is very 'popular' and the wait is awful. I've seen him twice now and I waited just short of an hour each time to see him.

I've heard some Moms indicate that they split-up multiple injections into different weeks so that they can monitor which injection may cause a problem/fever/rash. This sounds like a great idea to me, although I've never done it. However, I don't know if the MMR can be split -- I think the three components come in one injection. But you can isolate this from some of the other injections often given at the same visit.

I recommend that you discuss the MMR injection with your Pediatrician -- s/he should have the most current information about the MMR and any possible link to autism available. From my understanding, there is NO conclusive, scientific evidence that the MMR injection is linked to autism (if there was a scientific link, why would any Pediatrician actually give it??) It is a controversial subject and every Mom needs to weigh the pros and cons (and look at the existing research, studies and commentary) before deciding for her child.

That being said, my Pediatrician was very comfortable in my questioning whether or not we should postpone the MMR for a while. (I chose not to wait.) However, at my Pediatrician's office the MMR is not given until the 15 month check-up. In fact, I think the only "stick" my kids had at 12 months was a finger prick to check hemoglobin. So you and your little guy may have a few months to decide! Best of luck.

I know my ped can not split them- they can not order single dose vials so it would be very expensive and ins may not cover it. Perhaps just ask for the MMR and not give any other imms with it.

Hi!
I too will be splitting the MMR shot. I have been reading research on the vaccines and am amazed as to the amount of chemicals present that are at levels of toxicity for our little babies. It is a shame that many doctors are not doing there own research about this and offer vaccines just as according to the AAP. There are many reasons as too why these levels continue to be approved (money for pharmaceutical companies, seems to be OK for now...until something happens then they change the vaccine like with the Dtap a couple of years ago, etc). It is hard to definitively say there is a link from vaccines to neurological disorders because of the many variables(genetics, environment) but if you read the research and personal accounts you just may think otherwise. You should do what is right for your family and find a doctor that supports you.

A.

this shot above all others makes me nervous because of all the live viruses and small traces of mercury (yes they filter it out now but it is impossible to get 100% of it). I still haven't gotten it for my 4 year old but he is going to have to have it for school unless I want to lie about my religious beliefs. Most docs aren't going to have the shot in the seperate doses. My doc explained to me that she has to order the shots in bunches of 10. So if she orders 10 measles, 10 mumps, 10 rubella, then she has to find 9 other patients who want the shot that way before the expiration date or she has just wasted alot of money. She told me though that the county health department does offer them this way (mchenry county) so you might look into that. Esp for a child that young.

My girls are 14 months and both had the MMR at their one year check up. We asked our DR about splitting it up and he said it is very hard to find a place to buy the shots split. So, we got it all in one shot. They were very crabby for a couple weeks after the shot, but now all is good. I'd rather be safe than sorry and give them the shot. Our Dr is wonderful and sits and explains everything and I truely trust him. There is NO proof that the MMR shot is the problem.
Good luck.

I have a son with mild autism, a neurotypical daughter, and I am pregnant with 3rd child. We are pro-vaccine, but were also looking for an alternative schedule for baby #3. One of the doctors we consult for my son recommends splitting the MMR: Measles at 15 months, Mumps at 17 months, and Rubella at 19 months. However, our local pediatrician told me that they cannot get the MMR split it. The single shots are on backorder for more than 1 year. In my opinion, it can't hurt to ask your doctor if single shots are available. If you'd like to pursue this, I'd recommend beginning to look now for a ped or pharmacist who stocks the single injections.

Best of luck!

MMR is the shot that shows a link to autism (not confirmed). I didn't know this when I got my son's but I wish I did. Luckily he's fine, but next time around, I'll know better. Have him fully vaccinated by age 3, but skip MMR for now. Give his little body a chance without pumping all this stuff in him!

I haven't read the other responses, but my ped wasn't able to split the shots. We waited until my child was almost 4 years old before we gave it to him and I'm glad that we did. He ended up having a severe reaction to it about a week after the shot. He's fine, but we won't give him the booster.