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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Vaccines for a newborn in China?
For those who had their kids in China, did you have a say when it came to vaccines, and which ones they should/could/had to get and at what age?
11 years 36 weeks ago in Family & Kids - China
If you deliver at a reputable hospital - either a foreign affiliated hospital or at least a "#1 Provincial Hospital" they will have vaccines available. The pediatrician will advise you as to which vaccines are needed and when. There are usually two types available - the local vaccines and imported ones.
My kids have had all the recommended shots (imported) and I feel better for it. Kids are too precious to scrimp and penny-pinch when it comes to their health...especially in China.
The vaccination programme is slightly different in China as to the UK, (and I assume the USA but don't know). When you first have your child or when you first take it to the hospital after you arrive (if it's born outside China), the doctor will advise you on the local programme, you really need a fluent Chinese speaker with you for this.
We arrived when our daughter was less than 6 weeks and the doctor was great, (it took a while to find her though). We were given a Chinese baby book and told when we needed what.
My daughter is two next month and she has a vaccination on average every month. When your child is due an inoculation you are given the bottle the drug comes in to check the seal and that it is what you've been prescribed, check carefully, mistakes do happen and it's YOUR son / daugher. The cost isn't a lot, I think the most we've paid is 100RMB and that was for the MMR. Although my wife pays so I don't know the exact cost.
I will say, it does seem you get a lot more vaccinations in China than we were expecting in UK.
My daughter has had all her required shots as per USA standards. I have them somewhere, and as needed, I take her to the hospital and do request the needed one, and normally choose the vaccinations made abroad for peace of mind mostly. Here tey are not that expensive, even foreign ones.
WE are getting all the vaccinations free of cost in #1 hospital of the city.. we are confident with Chinese medicine.. my wife born and bought up in china is more healthy than myself.. don't worry... basically Chinese hospital medicine is as good as international one.. we just don't understand Chinese and doctors wont speak Chinese.. so foreigners get scared...
She is having govt vaccination book - computerized system on what vaccinations taken and wen to go next.. is all printed ut each time..
and the head doctor there is my wifes aunt.. no worries..
As you're living in China, you cannot only refer to European or US standard vaccination, as some diseases are possible to catch here in China, but hardly ever in US or in Europe like Japanese Encephalitis.
Another factor to consider and which is not often the case in China is that in Europe and in US, they can often provide combined vaccines.
In each local medical center, they provide a booklet for child vaccination providing information on which vaccine has to be injected, when, and what type. Some are imported, some are locally-made. They have also the name in English and then you can search on Internet to compare with what you would have gotten in your own country.
If you go to an international hospital, they can provide you imported vaccines, but local Chinese hospital like where my child went for vaccination, you have only what they have, sometimes you can choose which one you prefer.
The cost varies from nil to a couple of hundred yuans.
It seems that you have a newborn baby, so according to the Chinese vaccination booklet, the vaccine are as follows:
during the first month : TB-BCG
1 month old : HepB
2 month old : OPV
3 month old : OPV and DPT
....