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Original poster

Would you vaccinate against chickenpox?

216 replies

DieAntword · 09/09/2018 21:55

The aeroplane thread made me think about this and I was reading about it. So they don’t think that people immune via vaccination will get shingles (or significantly more rarely than full chicken pox cases). Is this a no brainer then? Kids won’t get sick and they won’t get shingles later either? The only reason it’s not on the nhs is to stop adults who had full chickenpox as children getting shingles due to exposure? Is it ethical to use kids as a viral vector that way 🤔?

Apart from it costing money is there any reason not to do it?

OP posts:
itsalldyingout · 11/09/2018 15:46

@Labmum

No useful responses yet but I did look it up on the NHS website and it says anyone over 50 can get it privately and it can be given if you've already had it.

Also says it's expensive and in short supply.

I'm pushing OH to have it as my uncle had the virus in his head and eye and it caused a sort of collapse along the nerve which made his head look like someone had taken an axe to his head across his eye. On top of that, it blinded him in the one eye almost completely.

IrishMamaMia · 11/09/2018 17:21

@mitchdash this was also my experience. I feel really lucky to have avoided any more serious complications. My facial scarring is fading now (21 years later). Had my son vaccinated as soon as I could and think I might get vaccinated against shingles privately.

bruffin · 11/09/2018 17:59

itsalldyingout

Bells Palsy is a known complication of chicken pox. As is childhood stroke within 6 months. My ds friends had a stroke following CP. He was 6 and was paralysed down one side and had to learn to walk again

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
Stupomax · 11/09/2018 19:26

Can anyone tell me if the shingles vaccine is still useful if someone has already had it? My OH has had it several times over the last decade, though I have never had it. He has it on the head and eyelids and I'm worried it will attack the eye in the future.

Yes - you can still have it. There is a new shingles vaccine in the US which is more effective than the old one - it lasts longer, and is not live. Here's some info about it. It specifically says here you can have it whether you've had shingles or not. I don't know what the vaccines are that are available in the UK though.
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shingles/expert-answers/shingles-vaccine/faq-20057859

agnurse · 11/09/2018 19:51

If we have more children we will be having them immunized, simply because it is part of the MMR vaccination in my area (MMRV - measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, which is the clinical name for chicken pox).

It IS possible to get shingles from the vaccine, but it is much more common to get it from the illness itself. The vaccine is live, which is why it can cause shingles. I believe the incidence of shingles from the vaccine is relatively low, but I'm not sure of the exact numbers. I DO know that it is lower than the risk of shingles from the illness itself.

agnurse · 11/09/2018 19:52

PSA: If you, your child, or a loved one EVER has a shingles outbreak on the face, you MUST get a referral to an ophthalmologist. Your regular provider should be able to arrange this for you. The risk is that shingles on the face can cause it to develop in the optic nerve, causing blindness.

CloudPop · 11/09/2018 22:14

I'm totally baffled by the anti-vax camp so completely support anyone who is lucky enough to be born into a part of the world where we are able to prevent our children from having all of these vile diseases

QuoadUltra · 11/09/2018 22:15

We got the CP vaccine. It was £200 per child. It was the right decision for us. I’m a bit surprised more people don’t do it.

JassyRadlett · 11/09/2018 22:57

It IS possible to get shingles from the vaccine, but it is much more common to get it from the illness itself.

Can you link to information on this? I’ve not seen any evidence around this statement.

bruffin · 11/09/2018 23:51

If your child does get chickenpox please get it recorded on their medical records.
I didnt bother taking dd to the gp because ds had it the week before.
Dd was doing camp america and the week before she was due to fly out they wanted proof she had chicken pox or vaccine. It was bank holiday weekend and it was difficult to find someone who would test for her titres in time.
,£60 -later thankfully came back she had immunity to Cp .
Also spent £150 ,on hep b vaccine but she needs that for uni anyway.

Stupomax · 12/09/2018 00:13

If your child does get chickenpox please get it recorded on their medical records.

Yes good advice. We were lucky - arrived in the US and the children's new doctor took my word for it and wrote an official letter for each child saying they'd had chickenpox. I did have photos of them covered in pox...

SwordToFlamethrower · 12/09/2018 00:39

Wish we had known about chicken pox vaccinations sooner. DP is 33 and got it recently. He has about 6 really big scars just on his face and was so, so poorly.

His mum hasn't had it and if she gets it, it could be really serious for her.

If you're a kid, have chicken pox and get it over with. But if you get to secondary school and you've not had it, get the injection. Adults, 100% yes get the injection. It's awful to have later in life.

JassyRadlett · 12/09/2018 07:38

But if you get to secondary school and you've not had it, get the injection. Adults, 100% yes get the injection. It's awful to have later in life.

Unfortunately the vaccine is much less effective when administered to teens and adults than to children.

I’m not saying don’t vaccinate teens and adults who haven’t had CP. It’s the best option for them. But an even better option is to vaccinate children.

Skyejuly · 12/09/2018 08:15

My 14 yr old didn't have it yet despite all his sisters catching it :/

Satsumaeater · 12/09/2018 08:31

It was £200 per child. It was the right decision for us. I’m a bit surprised more people don’t do it

Because they can't afford it, I suppose.

And because outside MN, I've never heard of it being dangerous except that parents were giving iboprofen to their kids with CP to reduce their temperatures (I did it myself with ds back in the day) and in some cases that was causing complications. Hopefully parents know not to do that now.

I imagine the NHS has weighed up the evidence and decided that it is not cost effective to vaccinate (and there is the issue of shingles). Given they immunise boys against rubella and girls against mumps when there's no pressing medical need to do it other than for herd immunity, I am happy to trust the NHS on this - if there was a need, they'd do it.

I would however have a shingles vaccination if it were on offer to my age group. My mum has had it several times, thankfully she's been vaccinated now.

Italiangreyhound · 12/09/2018 08:35

Our son came to us through adoption and had not had the disease by 3. So at age 4 we had him vaccinated.

Having had shingles I am delighted he won't get it due to not having had Chicken pox.

I wish it was available on the NHS.

bruffin · 12/09/2018 08:58

girls against mumps
both girls and boys are affected by mumps other than sterility (and girls ovaries can be affected by mumps) It can cause meningitis and deafness

JassyRadlett · 12/09/2018 09:35

I imagine the NHS has weighed up the evidence and decided that it is not cost effective to vaccinate (and there is the issue of shingles). Given they immunise boys against rubella and girls against mumps when there's no pressing medical need to do it other than for herd immunity, I am happy to trust the NHS on this - if there was a need, they'd do it.

The determinations of JCVI on this issue make interesting reading. The impact of the Wakefield hysteria and concerns that measles vaccine rates would drop even more if another vaccine was added. What’s your view on why the NHS has reached a different conclusion to most western public health authorities?

Signing children up to both the risk of chickenpox and of shingles seems pretty iffy.

The best way to avoid shingles is not to get chicken pox. The best way to avoid chicken pox is to get vaccinated.

ittakes2 · 12/09/2018 09:45

The world health organisation recommends its on a country's vaccination schedule I think. Places like Australia and US do it routinely. If you are ever going on holiday to Australia its free for brits - just take children's red books. Before I vaccinated my children, I did a lot of research into thoughts around whether it reduced chance of shingles or not - sorry can't remember the outcome but I ended up vaccinating so must have decided it was the right thing to do!

Labmum · 12/09/2018 09:55

@itsalldyingout thanks for that. As I'm not over 50 I'm not sure I'd be able to get it privately but the clinic who did DS cp does do it so I may get in touch with them to ask.

Complete aside but I'm also wondering if you can pay to have boys vaccinated against HPV?

Momoftwoscallywags · 12/09/2018 10:39

I wish I had paid to have my kids vaccinated.

Both my boys had CP last year. While neither became seriously ill with it, my oldest (7 at the time) also didn't really have that many spots but the ones he did have where very deep and he has a couple of scars on his chest now.
My youngest (he was 5) was covered with spots which made him very itchy which then inflamed his eczema and it took weeks to get that flare up back under control.

I just remember they both felt miserable and ill and I wished I could make them better, and then realised that I could have prevented it. Felt very guilty then.

Beagadorsrock · 12/09/2018 10:39

I did it for both my children and myself. I haven't had chickenpox and did not want to get it from them as an adult (nor did I want the littler one to catch it from the big one)

Stupomax · 12/09/2018 12:22

Complete aside but I'm also wondering if you can pay to have boys vaccinated against HPV?

Here in the US our health insurance is covering the cost of my son being vaccinated against HPV. His doctor recommended it.

Paradyning · 12/09/2018 12:35

And as if by magic a Fail article about a 12 month old dying of sepsis brought on by CP.

Labmum · 12/09/2018 12:36

@Stupomax, how old is your Son? Mine's only 2 so I can always hope they start vaccinating boys on the NHS too by then but given the crisis the NHS is in I doubt it. The private clinic I took DS to for CP offers HPV for £130 per dose (needs 3 doses). So very pricey. It's a long way down the line but private or NHS he'll be getting it when the time comes.