Baby Vaccinations

[Mama Noodle]

Can anyone tell me or provide a list of required vaccinations in Thailand for babies? Specifically, our daughter is coming up on her required 2 month vaccination regimen. 

Ive got 2 different opinions happening in my house. 

 

1 - is that the government hospital vaccinations are fine and enough (and free, I think)

 

2 - is that our private clinic pediatrician is saying that its "better" to get these extra vaccinations that she has available, and the cost is over 8,000 baht plus more later as boosters required. She also says that her vaccinations are "safer" and "less likely to have side effects"?

 

Can anyone clarify if the government regimen is acceptable? My spidedy senses are tingling that im getting taken for a ride by the private clinic. 

[Sheryl]

For the same vaccine, no advantage to getting them privately vs free at government hospital.

 

However there are a few desirable vaccines that are not yet part of the government vaccine schedule:

 - rotavrus

- pneumococcal

 

 

[Mama Noodle]

8 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

However there are a few desirable vaccines that are not yet part of the government vaccine schedule:

 - rotavrus

- pneumococcal

 

There are 3 that she's recommending:

 

"Hib Vaccine" 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months - 2200 baht (not sure if thats for the whole schedule, or each time) 

 

"Rota Vaccine" 2 months, and 4 months - 1200 baht X2 (Unclear) 

 

"Pneumococcal Vacciene" Something like "Premier 13" noted - 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 16? months - 2700 baht (unclear if thats for everything or each)

 

Does all this sound right? 

 

Would it be safe get all the government hospital vaccinations for free, then shop around for the cheaper clinic for the extra ones?

 

I I wanna give her the best possible vaccinations but I dont want to be taken for a ride by the clinics. 

[Sheryl]

Yes, those are the vaccines not currently included in the goivernment schedule. I forgot to add the HIB .

 

Hib is given at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months

 

Penumoccocal (Prevnar 13) is given at 2,4 6 months and one more anytime between 12-15 months

 

Rotavirus comes in 2 forms. One is given twice at ages 2 and 4 months, the other same but also at 6 months

 

the prices you were quoted would be per dose, nto the series. They are much less than in private hospitals and even clinics in Bangkok.

[Mama Noodle]

5 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

the prices you were quoted would be per dose, nto the series. They are much less than in private hospitals and even clinics in Bangkok.

 

Thanks. 

So seems legit then. 

 

I think we'll get all the government free ones, then those three wherever they are cheaper. 

 

Bonkers that these vaccines are gonna end up the same or more than the birth itself ????

 

Did not expect that. 

[Sheryl]

Delivery could have been free if done at government hospital where your wife is registered.

 

At private hospitals, they intentionally price delivery packages low in the hopes of enticing the parents to then get all the pediatric care there, which runs to far more money than an uncomplicated delivery.

[Mama Noodle]

6 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Delivery could have been free if done at government hospital where your wife is registered.

 

She wanted a private hospital delivery because it was a c-section and our local government hospital required her to be in the public recovery ward for 24 hours after birth. We both agreed, and went private to go directly to the private room directly after birth. 

 

We did all the prenatal care at the private hospital too, but stopped going there after the 2 week checkup, switching to gov and private clinic locally. 

 

The birth and VIP room for 4 days was 48k and the vaccines are looking like gonna be close to that once they are all complete, which is pretty unexpected. Didn't mind paying for the birth and whatever made her comfortable, just surprised at the cost of vaccination. 

[4MyEgo]

8 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

Didn't mind paying for the birth and whatever made her comfortable, just surprised at the cost of vaccination. 

You will be surprised at the cost of everything else soon, trust me, I have 5 ????

 

[PPMMUU]

Government provide decent vaccination schedule

Rotavirus vaccine is included in national plan now. Not an extra vaccines anymore.

"better" vaccines with "less side effects" are real at certain ages. Specifically those at 2,4,6,18 months and 4 years. These vaccines include pertussis vaccine. There are 2 types of pertussis vaccine; whole-cell and acellular. Acellular pertussis vaccine has significantly lower side effect: including fever. Many Thais parents and even some doctors refer to the combination vaccine which includes acellular pertussis vaccine as "No-fever version" Which is partially true, for there are some children who still develop fever despite get a no-fever version of vaccines.

If you consider having much less (not zero) chances of post-vaccination fever is worth (2000*3)+1800+1500 baht then go for it. I did.

Other vaccines that are still consider extra includes
- conjugated pneumococcal vaccines.
- influenza vaccine (in some areas there are special projects that provide free influenza vaccines)
- Dengue vaccines
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccines
- Hepatitis A vaccines

My advise: if money is not problem - go for all extra vaccines you can get.

[Lacessit]

Is tuberculosis vaccine somewhere in that list? Given there are still TB cases in Thailand, and there is some evidence TB vaccination mitigates the effects of coronavirus, IMO worth checking.

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Is tuberculosis vaccine somewhere in that list? Given there are still TB cases in Thailand, and there is some evidence TB vaccination mitigates the effects of coronavirus, IMO worth checking.

 

yes, BCG is routinely given at birth.

 

The COVID connection is not based on any real evidence, though. It was a theory based on which countries seemed tio have the most cases at the beginning but all that has shifted since.

[Lacessit]

29 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

yes, BCG is routinely given at birth.

 

The COVID connection is not based on any real evidence, though. It was a theory based on which countries seemed tio have the most cases at the beginning but all that has shifted since.

It seems to be convincing enough for South Australia to be running a BCG trial with 500 frontline health workers. Have not seen any results published as yet.

[Yellowtail]

Do yourself a favor and just do whatever your wife wants. That's what's going to happen anyway, so you might as well save yourself some grief.

 

Your mother in law is likely going to want to do some crazy-a** sh*t as well, and this is likely not a fight you can win either.

 

Enjoy it, once you have a child, everything else is just stuff!