To think it should be easier to get a child vaccinated?

[DespicableWee]

DS3 has severe febrile convulsions every time he gets a virus. Truly terrifyingly long lasting fits that require intubation and a week long hospital stay each time. He is of an age to be starting nursery soon, so after speaking to an immunologist at the children's hospital, I decided to get DS3 jabbed up with the chicken pox vaccine.

I know it isn't available under the ordinary NHS vaccination schedule so will have to pay for it, that's fine, it's my choice to have an 'extra' jab and I feel the cost is well worth it to spare DS the discomfort of having the pox, let alone the real risk of it landing him in hospital again and any complications from the fitting.

So far, I have phoned 3 private clinics; the first doesn't do it, the second want a referral letter from the GP and the third said the vaccine isn't available in the UK . I phoned my GP surgery who said I need to have an appointment with a doctor to see if they will allow DS to have it. I saw the GP this morning and he is insisting on getting official confirmation from either the immunologist or paediatrician that DS needs it before they will even order it in. It will take about 2 weeks from ordering to DS being able to have the jab.

At every turn, I have been closely questioned on why I want DS to have the jab. There is an actual need for him to be protected from as many childhood viruses as possible until he grows out of the fits, yet explaining that still seems to raise suspicion. Personally I would have thought "I don't want my child to suffer an unnecessary and preventable illness" would be a perfectly acceptable answer to why he would be having a jab in any event.

AIBU to think that vaccinations are a good thing, so it should be made far easier to access any extra ones that are not part of the standard set, or at the very least parents seeking extra vaccinations shouldn't be made to feel that they are being a nuisance or doing something wrong by seeking them?

Where abouts are you?

FWIW, I only take ds to a private dr (bad nhs experience) and they have never and would ever ask for an nhs gp referral, not everyone has or wants a gp.

If you are anywhere near London I can tell you a fantastic place to go and dr to see, he's done all DS vaccinations since he was a baby, no problems.

And ds had the chicken pox jab for similar reasons, I wasn't questioned, the pead thought it was a good idea too.

I'm British but in the US and chicken pox is a standard vaccine here for babies (obviously paid for by insurance, not 'free' so to speak). You should be able to get it in the UK, just need to find somewhere as Poopy says.

Im in the NE, poopy

I have nothing but praise for the treatment DS has received from the NHS so far. I shudder to think how much the hospital stays and transfers, intubations, paeds follow ups, immunology tests and the like would have cost us if we didn't have access to the NHS, but it just makes this all the more frustrating. DS will get chicken pox at some point, it is so virulent and common that the chances of him being lucky and dodging it are tiny. When he gets it, he will most likely fit and that is another week in hospital with all the associated costs for the NHS, not to mention the toll on DS. Him having this jab will save all that, and I'm perfectly happy to pay the cost of the jab and the nurse's time to administer it myself so it isn't costing the NHS a penny, yet I'm having to jump through hoops and defend my reasons while being made to feel like I'm doing something terrible to DS.

I know having an injection isn't fun for a 2 year old, but it is a crap tonne better than having the discomfort of the pox and being covered in wires and tubes for a week.

Is your child under a paeds consultant for their recurrent febrile convulsions? If so give their secretary a call and ask if you could get it done through them. I work on a children's ward and we quite often have more vulnerable children in for vaccinations (including the chicken pox vaccine) at their consultants request. I know they also do them at children's outpatients too. If you do not have a named consultant have you ever had appointments after the admissions - if so use the consultant for this to be your contact. But if all else fails give your children's ward a ring and ask them to take your details and get docs to ring you back.

Hope that's helpful, if you have any further questions I'm happy to try and help!
Ps I've heard rumours that this vaccine is going to be added to the normal schedule as it is in USA. Although with all things like this I'm sure it will take time!!

He is, Raeray I have left messages for both his paeds consultant and the immunology one but both are ow on holiday. I suppose I am annoyed because in DS's case there is a need for him to have this vaccination, but it could quite simply have been that I had decided I would rather he have the jab than get chicken pox and that would be totally acceptable as well.

A vaccination provides the benefit of immunity to a virus which would cause more problems than the side effects of the vaccine. It is common sense to get protection against any preventable virus. I shouldn't need a medical reason to access something which has been made available to the public.

Can you try another gp? Or a nurse (who does the usual immunisations) at your gp surgery?
I had my children vaccinated against chicken pox and I just rang, spoke to the nurse (who didn't ask me why, just told me the cost etc) then she ordered the vaccines in, called me when they were ready and I took the kids in to have them!

My DS2 was recommended to have it by his immunologist and he wrote to the GP who then ordered it in. Is there someone else in the immunology dept you could talk to? When I have had questions another consultant has covered when DS's consultant was away. It was 2 jabs a few weeks apart.

EDAMit, you'll have to name-change now.

Sorry to de-rail your thread. You know what I think. Carry on.

We took DS (22 months) to a private GP practice to have it done- very simple, cost £95 per jab 2 weeks apart and no questions asked (apart from sensible ones!). There must be a private GP local to you, we found a practice based at a local private hospital.

DS has (mild) Primary Immunodeficiency Disorder and they would have been happy to vaccinate on the NHS, but there was a wait to get the vaccine in and we were just coming up to pox season. Private GP did it the same day, no referral letter needed.

Do pursue this, it's a very simple vaccination and worth every penny- there will be someone local to you who offers it. Several friends and our nanny's son have all had chicken pox in the last few weeks, so glad I averted days or weeks of misery, or potentially worse for DS.

Ds has complex health issues, and had the cp vaccine on the nhs, no paed referral required, just decided wise by our gp, who ordered it in, it was in within the week.

But I know of people here who have had their dcs vaccinated, because it would a nightmare for them to get the time off work, and the gp surgery order it in, and it costs £60 per jab (2 jabs needed).

UserError I did NC just for this thread. Did you?

How did you discover me? I must know. I Camembert the suspense of it all.

I'm giving it until Tuesday when at least one of the consultants should be back in to get the message and send a fax and if I haven't heard from my GP by then, I'll do the rounds of the private clinics. I maintain I shouldn't bloody have to go to this much hassle to get a safe, approved, available vaccine for a child with a clear need for it, but if that's what it takes, that's what I'll do.

Did I shite name-change. I have nothing to hide, except the bodies.