Search Results for: blog vaccinations in adopted children and families

Extended Family Members of Adopted Children May Need Hepatitis A Vaccine

If you are beginning an international adoption, you’ve probably thought quite a bit about the health of your potential child. In a home study, you have had to address questions about your own health. A few of us might think 6 months ahead to plan for a trip to our child’s country. Even if we do begin a vaccination schedule for ourselves, we likely wouldn’t think of having our parents or other close relatives, neighbors and babysitters vaccinated. I know I didn’t. But that needs to change. In a sobering case, a 51-year-old adoptive grandmother was hospitalized earlier this spring … Continue reading →

Vaccinations in Adopted Children and Families

What should one consider about vaccinations for adopted children, and even for adoptive parents? The parents, you ask? Parents adopting children may be advised to get vaccines they may not already have been given. For example, although most children today are routinely given Hepatitis B vaccines, they were not routinely given when most of us were kids and many adults have not had them. People traveling to Asia to pick up their children are advised to get them. In fact, there is a higher rate of Hepatitis B in Asia and parents adopting from there may be advised to get … Continue reading →

New Five-in-One Vaccine Approved

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new combination vaccine for children. The combination vaccine covers five different diseases — and could reduce the number of shots needed for infants by as much as a third. The combination vaccine is known as Pentacel and is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur. It is a four-dose vaccine series that protects against five different diseases: Diphtheria Tetanus Whooping cough (also known as pertussis) Polio Influenza type B Pentacel is safe for children two months of age and older. Most childhood vaccines are completed before the age of eighteen months. The U.S. Food … Continue reading →

Vaccine Allergies in Dogs

Most of the time, our four-legged friends handle their annual vaccinations with no problems. Once in a while, a pet may experience an adverse reaction to the vaccine. Ischemic dermatopathy (also known as cutaneous vasculitis) is a rare reaction to the rabies vaccine. Symptoms include: Ulcers, scabs, or lumps at the vaccine site Darkening of the skin at the injection site Scarring with loss of hair Lesions developing on ear flaps, elbows, footpads, and face Fever Symptoms of this reaction can show up within a few weeks of injection but can take several months to develop to a noticeable level. … Continue reading →

For the Pet Moms: Happy Mother’s Day

Actually, I’m not trying to be discriminatory. Happy Mother’s Day to all moms! It’s just that some people turn their noses up at, or take offense to, women like myself who treat their pets like kids and consider themselves moms nonetheless. In years past, I have had people balk when we get to talking about how our husbands celebrated us on Mother’s Day. “Wayne gave you a card? He made you breakfast in bed? He took you out for a nice dinner? Why? You guys don’t have any kids.” No, I don’t have kids. Well, what I mean to say … Continue reading →

What An Adoption Doctor Did for Us, Part Two

My last blog talked about how an adoption medicine specialist helped us to decipher referral information and consulted with specialists. Once the referral was accepted, the doctor provided instructions on how to page her from abroad and a list of “what to bring” for each country. In Korea, medical care is good and most children are in foster care. Also, we visited our daughter during our stay but did not take custody until the last day. Therefore we brought only over-the-counter medicines and did not need to page the doctor. People more likely to page the doctor are those who … Continue reading →

Health Care When Your Child Comes Home

One of the first things adoptive parents want to do when their baby or child comes home is go to a doctor for a full checkup. This way parents can have a baseline medical exam for their child and address any medical issues that were not detected before placement. If you are adopting a child from the foster care system, parents should be informed where the child has been getting health care. Some parents continue to use the same provider. Other parents ask to have the records sent to a doctor they choose. Adoptive parents should be given all the … Continue reading →