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Children's health

Chickenpox vaccine

11 replies

Mamita · 02/02/2011 10:12

My daughter has just turned 10 and has never come down with chickenpox, though exposed to many children who have.

I had it at 10, really badly, with spots in every place imaginable. Despite very little scratching, I was also left with some pockmarks on my face that really upset me as a child.

I wouldn't want her to go through the same thing as me and am now considering the possibility of having her vaccinated.

I'd love to hear what people's thoughts are.

Thanks very much.

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bubbleymummy · 02/02/2011 10:23

Have you had her immunity tested? She may have had it very mildly - I'm sure she's probably had plenty of exposure opportunities at school etc! :)

I personally wouldn't vaccinate against it at that age. She may get it mildly and not scar at all. Even if she gets vaccinated she may still get CP( vaccine isn't 100% effective). The immunity from vaccines isn't lifelong so she would have to get boosters for the rest of her life - every 10 years iirc. There is no way of knowing when that immunity will diminish and with a girl I would be especially worried that she wouldn't be immune when she was pregnant which could have terrible consequences for the baby :(

Other people would disagree with me but my plan would be to test her immunity and if she isn't immune to consider getting it at a later stage - maybe if she is thinkinh about getting pregnant.

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Mamita · 02/02/2011 10:33

Thanks Bubbleymummy - lots of food for thought in your reply.

Testing for immunity as a first step sounds like a really good idea.

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dikkertjedap · 02/02/2011 15:39

I would get her vaccinated. I had dd vaccinated. In the US this is normal practice. She will also need boosters mind you. Although chicken pox is usually mild, it can be a very serious disease as well, every year some children die of it or are left with brain damage. Totally preventable with a vaccination (and boosters). You will need to pay though if you are in the UK as it is not provided on the NHS.

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bubbleymummy · 02/02/2011 20:05

Fatality rate of chickenpox is something like 0.002%. When you are talking about brain damage I take it you mean from encephalitis which has a rate of 0.0017%. So very very small! Please stop scaremongering dikker!

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eyeofhorus · 02/02/2011 20:12

perhaps you should read thiswww.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3643888/Chickenpox-vaccine-is-bad-for-children.html

or visit the website informedparent who provide advice about the effects of vaccines.

The possibility of getting chickenpox and a few small scars is much less of an issue in the long run..... hope this helps!

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dikkertjedap · 02/02/2011 21:40

Every body can do whatever they like. I made sure that dd had the chickenpox vaccine and I am entirely satisfied with this decision. I don't care that the risk is very small, it is a risk I am able to avoid that is what matters to me. From previous threads, I take it bubbleymummy that you are quite against all childhood vaccinations (correct me if I am wrong). I am not, my dd gets vaccinated for all childhood vaccinations, I don't want to have to live with the guilt that something happens to her which I could have avoided. Nothing to do with scaremongering IMO.

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dikkertjedap · 02/02/2011 21:41

should have said: vaccinated against all childhood diseases (for which there is a vaccine)

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bubbleymummy · 02/02/2011 23:05

"it can be a very serious disease as well, every year some children die of it or are left with brain damage" is scaremongering when the figures are as low as I quoted above. You have more chance of being struck by lightning for goodness sake! Considerably more! Maybe we should all walk around wearing hats with lightning rods attached and rubber shoes "just in case" :)

re. being against all childhood vaccinations - if you read my first post you will see that I said I suggested vaccinating at a later date after testing for immunity so I am not saying "don't get it!" just that I wouldn't get it at this stage and I would get immunity tested first because I am actually against unnecessary vaccines. Especially when they can leave you vulnerable when a disease is potentially more dangerous i.e adulthood and/or during pregnancy.

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tink123 · 03/02/2011 18:16

I would get her vaccinated if she doesn't get it in next few years. DH almost lost his life to chickenpox three years ago.

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OhYouBadBadKitten · 03/02/2011 19:13

dd is in exactly the same position. I reckon its cos I always had calamine cream in just in case!
We've decided that, if she consents then we will have her immunity tested at around 15 and if shes not immune get her vaccinated. I have a friend who didnt have antibodies and it caused her so much anxiety in pregnancy.

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Mamita · 03/02/2011 20:20

Thanks everyone for taking the time to post. I think we will try and and get an immunity test and go from there.