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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that if you can afford it, you should vaccinate your kids against chicken pox.

62 replies

Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 22:52

Horrid disease. Some shrug it off, some don't. But you can vaccinate against it for around £200. Surely if you can afford it then why not do it?

OP posts:
gimmecakeandcandy · 25/10/2012 23:38

Lucy - what is 'over vaccination'? You accept the other vaccines from the state, wouldn't you accept chicken pox if it was given alongside other vaccines? There has been talk of adding it to the mmr, but factors - one being cost - has ruled this out. I don't think you know what you are taking about with regards to how serious chicken pox can be and seem to be taking this personally.

Original poster
Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 23:48

Lucyellenmum wtf ?

OP posts:
Original poster
Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 23:49

So you feel like shit cos you can't afford it, but then you wouldn't have had it anyway? Seriously, wtf?

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 25/10/2012 23:50

Lucyellenmum she did actually specify in her title, if you can afford it...

lucyellenmum · 25/10/2012 23:51

You have made quite a few assumptions there gimmecake. When the NHS say to me "you know, we think this is important enough to be included in your childs vaccination shedule" I'll consider it, not when a pharmacuetical company pushes it on me. Oh and I know all about chicken pox and other herpes viruses thanks all the same and my judgement is, i'll give this one a miss. Thanks.

Original poster
Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 23:52

The NHS can't afford it.

OP posts:
Original poster
Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 23:54

How does a pharmaceutical company push it on to you Lucyellensmum? They can't advertise direct to user, and currently aren't promoting cp vaccine heavily in the uk as its outside the standard vaccination protocol.

OP posts:
lucyellenmum · 25/10/2012 23:55

Well you have clearly read this somewhere, unless of course you are a health professional, then i bow to your greater knowledge.

TheCatInTheHairnet · 25/10/2012 23:56

You know you have to have it again, right? DD and DS3 had to have it done when we moved here, and 5 years later have had to have the next round. I tried and tried to get them to catch it before we left, but to no avail. I would feel a lot more comfortable if they'd actually had the disease.

SirBoobAlot · 25/10/2012 23:57

I am pro vax when it comes to serious health conditions, but I think that as much as I am terrified of DS having CP (I have a crap immune system due to ME) I would rather he had it as a child than an adult.

cynister · 25/10/2012 23:57

I chose to have all my four of my children vaccinated. My oldest are US born and received it there, I paid to have my youngest two jabbed. I was seriously ill with the virus as a child and decided I wanted to spare my children the disease to the best of my ability. My fifteen year old son has of course been immunised the longest. We have had chicken pox outbreaks in our family to this point.

Original poster
Gluebingham · 25/10/2012 23:57

Have clearly read what, Lucyellensmum?

OP posts:
lucyellenmum · 25/10/2012 23:58

AND im really tired now and realise that my first post was a bit shit - i apologise. I just get a bit antsi when it comes down to money - i don't think my ire should be directed at you.

cynister · 25/10/2012 23:58

FFS..we have had NO outbreaks to this point..

NatashaBee · 26/10/2012 00:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cynister · 26/10/2012 00:01

Lucyellenmum, I am so upset about money right now, my own finances and other's too..especially since we had a posting from a suicidal mum on here today. She was at her end due to her financial stress..no wonder you feel a bit touchy..

lucyellenmum · 26/10/2012 00:04

That is interesting about the shingles. As far as i understand it, shingles tends to be as a result of the virus surfacing when run down etc, much like a cold sore or herpes flare up. This implies to me that this i an attenuated vaccine rather than a modified vaccine that vaccinates with the antigen only. I will definately be giving this one a miss, thaks Natasha! My mum gets terrible shingles but she is immunocompromised. I had it once before - on my bottom and the sole of my foot Hmm i wasn't very impressed.

lucyellenmum · 26/10/2012 00:07

thats exactly my point cynister - i know what thread you mean. Then when you come on a thread that sets those who can afford to pay for something that is a health benefit apart from those who can't it makes me a bit tetchy! I don't to be fair, think the OP meant to come across this way and i have apologised. I would LIKE to think that if a CP vaccination was considered essential then it would be available under the NHS for those who couldn't afford it.

CaliforniaLeaving · 26/10/2012 00:11

My Dd has had the CP vaccine, and was one who went on to get CP she's had it three years in a row since starting preschool, usually she gets it around this time of year so far fingers crossed that she doesn't get it again.
Seeing complications are so very rare I wouldn't have bothered with this one, but it was on our vaccination schedule. The county health dept did it and paid for it as none of the local doctors do vaccines anymore, they say they are too expensive to keep on hand and send all the patients over to the county clinic.
Oldest son had CP in Kindergarten and has one small scar on his shoulder, Ds two is 18 and never had it even though he was exposed a few times.
I worry about Dd getting shingles as she gets older, I've had it during a very stressful year with family deaths and lots of flying back and forth, I don't ever want to have that again.

Original poster
Gluebingham · 26/10/2012 00:11

I didn't mean this to be a thread about making anyone feel shit for their financial situation and I apologise hugely if that's the case, and clearly it hit a nerve Lucy, which I never intended, which is why I was so like wtf?! I think cp should absolutely be vaxxed against in the NHS and that if you can afford it then get it done anyway, but not a judgement on those who don't - nobody should have to - cp vac Shoujd be available for free !

OP posts:
lucyellenmum · 26/10/2012 00:16

Thanks glue, i don't know enough about the CP vax to go off on the deepend about it. I would want to know more before i made a decision to vaccinate my DD. Touch wood we have been a CP free family - my eldest is 22 and had one spot when she was younger, ive never had it and DD2 is 7 and not had it (yet). However DP gets motherfucker cold sores and i used to get them too and have had shingles.

SundaeGirl · 26/10/2012 00:45

The NHS were going o put it on the national vaccination programme. Then they realised they couldn't afford it.

ElaineBenes · 26/10/2012 01:09

It increases the risk of shingles in the general population - the actual risk of shingles later in life for a vaccinated child vs an unvaxed one is lower. This is one of the reasons the nhs won't roll it out - they're rolling out a shingles vaccine for the elderly first.

The cp vaccine is very effective against severe chicken pox. If you are vaccinated and get cp, it's far more likely to be mild. For the record, my kids were vaxed against cp and didn't get it. I'm really pleased we did it but I think it's unfair that my kids benefitted because we could afford it.

ElaineBenes · 26/10/2012 01:12

Lucyellen - you must have had cp at some point if you had shingles!

PropertyNightmare · 26/10/2012 01:26

Yanbu. Mine have already had pox but if I had my time again then yes I would pay to vaccinate.