Flu shot in arm for 8 month old?

Specialties Pediatric

Published

Nurse at ped office tried to give my 8 mo old a flu shot in the arm yesterday....I have been out of peds for a couple years now so I am wondering if something has changed since I left...or of I need to call back now that the RN supervisor is there and say something to her about it.

I did make them give the shot in the leg, just like I was taught back when I was practicing

Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

Well I don't know about other states but here the State recommends that after the age of 1 all immunizations be given in the deltoid. Personally, I do not do this. I don't give a child a shot in their deltoid until they are old enough to sit still and take it that way. As far as the poster that said if more than one injection were being given it should be done by 2 different nurses at the same time?? I dont agree with that either. At all. But just my opinion.

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Specializes in Peds.

We are all RNs in the doctors' office where I work. I hate people assuming I am a MA. I've worked hard to be a RN! We give the shots in the thigh until the age of 5. This is our policy. As far as the other nurses comment. It is VERY common to give 4-5 injections plus an oral med to a baby. It is done by one nurse, only. I wish we had the staff to do it the other way. Just my thoughts.

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

Even if we had the staff to do it, I still wouldn't gang up on a baby like that. And if I ever take my kids somewhere and they tried to do that I would leave.

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The idea isn't to "gang up" , it's to give the injections at once and get them over with as quickly as possible!:cry:

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

I guess I just disagree with that approach to it. I give multiple vaccines by myself and do it rather quick and doesn't seem to bother the child that much. But we all have our own techniques and what works for one may not work for the other.

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Specializes in PICU.

I think it also depends on what the parents would prefer. I am fine with my kids receiving the simultaneous shot approach, get it done and over with. I don't personally care which way I do it (on the rare occasions I have to give IMs), so I would defer to the parents' wishes.

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I would have given it in the thigh. As far giving lots at one time or one at a time, I would just do what mom wants. It makes me sad to hear "pull the nurse card" b/c as a nurse who has worked in many areas, it just makes me irritated and nervous when someone does that. It doesn't score anyone better care and it doesn't intimidate me. It makes me want to pass you off to another nurse.

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Parents(and patients, if old enough) are always presented the choice to have injections given 1 at a time or all at once! Sorry I didn't spell it out!!!!!

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Specializes in LPN, Peds, Public Health.

Thats great that they are given the option...

but here I am the only one to do it so its out of the question even if I did want to do it that way...

I don't know, guess I have just never seen it done, even with my own children, they were always given one at a time and thats how i learned. I had never even heard of it until I read it in The Red Book one day, but by then I was stuck in my ways I guess...

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