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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To vaccinate my dc against chicken pox?

40 replies

ghoulelocks · 05/04/2013 12:00

Reasons

-time off work for all, especially if caught one after the other would be hugely more than the cost of the jab, no other childcare at all apart from nursery and ft working parents
-they have my skin which scars so easily, might avoid some facial scars if they have it badly
-I haven't had cp (though have worked for over 10 yrs with small kids so wondering if immune some how)
-none of grandparents (or a substantial part of village back home) have had it and we fly to see they a few times a year, really don't want to feel the wrath of bringing it to elderly in the village! Of course this would have to be unlucky timing.

None of these reasons are hugely important so if there's a valid reason medically not to vaccinate I wouldn't, but if it's safe it seems it would make sense for us. I know I'd pay, but it's cheaper than not working.

OP posts:
lljkk · 05/04/2013 12:08

I would have done, if it were cheap & easy, for same kind of reasons.

My kids had an easy time with CP as did I so the disease doesn't bother me at all, but the hassle factor is enormous.

soundevenfruity · 05/04/2013 12:12

We had it done as DH remembers what miserable time he had with it. But do remember you have to have 2 done within a certain time period between them.

skaen · 05/04/2013 12:16

I think the vaccine only lasts for 10 years or so and it is likely to be much more serious for adults.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 05/04/2013 12:18

It's a safe vaccine. They give it to children in other countries. The reason they didn't do it in the UK is that chicken pox doesn't really have any long term harmful side effects and is not life threatening. Also, exposure to the chickenpox virus in adulthood strengthen our immunity to it, so we would be less likely to get shingles. What I mean is the case for a nationally funded campaign for it is therefore not strong. However, if you are paying for it, it's not a harmful thing to do at all. It's like the flu vaccine. Many companies give it for free (mine does), to reduce the number of sickies we have over winter. A completely valid reason, just not a public health issue reason.

So go for it!

Justaoneoff · 05/04/2013 12:20

Having just gone through chicken pox with my two (and we were 'lucky' in that it coincided with holidays - though it made for a miserable time all round) - I would say go for it! There appear to be regular outbreaks of it, so you'd be very lucky if yours didn't get it - plus, there is the fallout. We had CP, followed by all sorts of viruses - it was a complete pandora's box. But maybe we were just unlucky....

Pagwatch · 05/04/2013 12:20

Do it if you want to. I wouldn't but it's a free country.

You might want to ask/check in vaccinations as those threads may have more info, as opposed to the pro and anti vacc bloodbath discussion you are likely to get in aibu

OneLittleToddleTerror · 05/04/2013 12:21

skaen I believe it's the same immunity from having chicken pox yourself. And it also isn't 100% foolproof. Some people get chickenpox twice (or they get it after vaccination) because not everyone gets the immunity from one dose. The immunity might lessen overtime, and that's what why some expert regard repeated exposure over adulthood from people with chickenpox as a good thing.

5eggstremelychocaletymadeggs · 05/04/2013 12:22

onrelittletoddle that is incorrect chickeox can be life threatening and have long term consequences.

There is a thread on mnet from recently a mnetters little boy ended up very Ill in hospital with chickenpox. It caused swelling of the brain.

Please dont keep repeating the myth that its nif life threatening, it can be!

Original poster
ghoulelocks · 05/04/2013 12:22

I get free flu vaccine too, though have only taken it up during pregnancies cos I'm a wuss-

I just read an article from the bbc and it didn't mention the 10 yr thing

This seemed compelling..

"This is what it's really all about," says Professor Adam Finn, consultant in paediatric infectious diseases at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.
"The fact is parents who should be able to protect their child against chickenpox, an entirely preventable, unpleasant disease, are being held hostage by a small minority.
"Chickenpox is a disease which stops children going to school, means parents have to take time off work, and for children who are already sick can be very severe. And for a small cost we could be rid of it."

The shingles thing/ adult pox was described as only a theory without evidence basically.

OP posts:
Original poster
ghoulelocks · 05/04/2013 12:23

pagwatch- I was being lazy for quick replies tbh.....

OP posts:
Fresh01 · 05/04/2013 12:24

I know 2 children that had the vaccine overseas (a country that routinely gives CP vaccine) hen have got chicken pox back in the UK. Yes, both had a mild dose, less than 10 spots, but parents still had to keep them home for a week.

I looked into it at one stage as DC1 just missed getting it overseas. It wasn't easy to get and doctors were very reluctant due to it not being as effective as the other childhood vaccines. So I didn't do it in the end. My 4th child is in middle of pox at moment : (

SundaeGirl · 05/04/2013 12:25

Well, YANBU. I did it because it was easy to organise, cheaper than time off work and saved my DCs from illness and scars.

I'll get them checked for immunity in their teens and they might need a booster vaccine then, that's fine.

Obviously, YANBU if you choose not to either. Plenty of children don't.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 05/04/2013 12:25

5eggs I'll stand corrected. I thought it's fairly harmless. Where I am from, we vaccinate against chicken pox for all children. I believe it's two doses they get. My mum asked if I'm going to get it for my DD, that's when I found out why NHS was not funding it.

Lonecatwithkitten · 05/04/2013 12:25

It gives low protection as there are 5 strains of chicken pox that have multiple subtypes and the vaccine doesn't protect against all strains. So there is still a real risk of catching chicken pox. I am very pro-vaccination, but just think this one is a waste of money (I work in a non-human medical field and have lots of vaccine knowledge).

Original poster
ghoulelocks · 05/04/2013 12:26

I feel it's amazing we haven't yet, at 2 then 3 every child in ds room at nursery had it, I work in a school and nursery where it goes round loads, friends kids have been round with it...yet as yet none of us have got it. It feels surely our luck must run out! I'm on mat leave at the moment and would rub ds against a child with it if it ould bloody work so timing it now would be fine, but going back to work it'd be a nightmare. With 2 3 and under and another in primary school days off due to illness and lack of emergency childcare stack up horribly

OP posts:
breatheslowly · 05/04/2013 12:27

DD had it and I feel relieved every time a notice goes up in nursery about it. It was 2 injections with a gap between.

5eggstremelychocaletymadeggs · 05/04/2013 12:29

Yes lots of people think its fairly harmless and for lots oif children it generally is but it can be life threatening and have serious consequences.

Its people believing its harmless unfortunately that means not everyone takes proper precautions when their child has it, is not quarantining them and even holding chickenpox parties!!

yetanotherworry · 05/04/2013 12:34

I had to consider it with one of my children as we lived in another country where chicken pox is a routine vaccination. After much research we decided not to vaccinate because (1) it needs a booster and we weren't sure which country we would be living in at the time, (2) child has been exposed to CP a number of times and not had it, (3) different strains exist around the world and it is likely that this country's vaccine would not prevent against the strain in the UK.

It was a hard decision to make. If child still hasn't had CP by the time she's 18 then we will get her immunity checked and then consider vaccinating.

LunaticFringe · 05/04/2013 12:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 05/04/2013 12:36

You can get your immunity checked. I was tested when pregnant with DC3 as I hadn't had CP and there was an outbreak at DD's school.

I wasn't immune, but apparently fairly rare, and even if you haven't had CP doesn't mean your aren't immune Confused

SunflowersSmile · 05/04/2013 12:41

My youngest had first jab last summer; over due for booster so not sure how protected for chickenpox he is at the moment.
We will see!
If not had by July will have booster chickenpox jab but due 2nd MMR before then.

Startail · 05/04/2013 12:43

I would. DF had to cancel flights to see her parents two conservative springs due to her DSs getting CP.

I got it doing my final year university project which was also not helpful.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 05/04/2013 12:43

I'm very torn about vaccines for chicken pox. My DD was one of the unlucky children for whom it was a life threatening illness but she is an asthmatic and had been on stupidly high doses of inhaled and oral steroids when she contracted it (completely out of the blue, we knew no-one at the time who had CP). For DS it was the usual irritating and uncomfortable condition that it is for most children.

ItsAllTLAsToMe · 05/04/2013 12:48

YANBU.

I want to have DS vaccinated, but our GP won't do it even if we pay, and I haven't been able to find anywhere else to do it yet. Grr.

GirlWiththeLionHeart · 05/04/2013 13:18

My friends ds had a seizure due to cp as his temp couldn't be controlled. He never recovered and now has severe learning difficulties :(

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