to get DS chicken pox on purpose

[blowsygirl]

DS is 4.6 in a small nursery. All the other kids have had it earlier. I know it's going round at the moment, so would I be wise and reasonable to take him to a large soft play place and hope he catches it?

[bumbleymummy]

missing, yes, they can be serious, but they are rare. There are other things that need to be taken into consideration irt the vaccine - eg the need for boosters, waning immunity, the vaccine not being as effective in adults etc.

[mrsjay]

but rather because I thought it was best for him to have it young rather than old. Although as per my above post, now that I know there is a vaccine I will not need to consider it.

that is rubbish you can't tell how mild it will be one of my dds was very ill with CP at 4 the other one was fine a bit of a temp and a few spots, dd2 had them everywhere why would you make your children ill it doesnt matter when they get it they can still be ill

[missingwelliesinsd]

Thanks Bumble - I was genuinely confused. I must say I am surprised that the CP vaccine is not one of the vaccines offered through the NHS, complications from CP can be serious. Well, now I know!

[bumbleymummy]

No missing, we do not have the CP vaccine on the NHS. I don't think there are any anti-vax people posting here. I think the most people have said is that they don't think they should have it in childhood.

[missingwelliesinsd]

I don't live in the UK but I'm finding the comments surprising, am I to understand that children don't receive an immunisation for Chicken Pox through the NHS? Or is this because many people posting here are anti-vaccinations (I won't get into that debate because no-one is going to hvae their minds changed on the subject).

I do have a couple of friends (in our thirties) who have developed shingles in the past few years, and it was not fun I can assure you. Now they have to face future bouts of shingles for the rest of their lives.

[bumbleymummy]

MostlyMama, I hate threads like this for that reason too! People always post worst case scenarios and they really are a tiny minority of cases. Please try not to worry. I'm sure your DS will be fine :)

[MostlyMama]

See it is threads like this that scare the crap out of me. My 2.5yo dd has had it and just getting over it now. I also have a 10mo, so the general concensus on this thread is he will die then?

[bumbleymummy]

sash, natural immunity is more likely to be lifelong. Yes, there will be some people who contract it again after being naturally infected (I believe the risk is increased if you have it mildly/under the age of 1 the first time) but vaccine immunity does wane (hence need for booster) and the vaccine isn't as effective in adulthood so you end up increasing your chances of contracting it in adulthood when it is more of a risk.

[indigo18]

I would think avoiding accidental exposure is impossible, unless you keep child isolated. it is too late once you know a child has CP as they will have been infectious for a good while before symptoms appear. So unless your child never goes to playgroup, nursery, the library...

[ThatBloodyWoman]

Genuine question.

Those of you who are against deliberate exposure,how far do you go to avoid accidental exposure (if you haven't vaccinated) and do you expect that at some point exposure will happen?

[wobblyweebles]

If we are talking calculated risk I would go worth the risk of a vax side effect over the risk of hospitalisation or death from cp.

[blowsygirl]

MrsJay i can't see how licking a germ-ridden floor to get D&V is remotely similar to exposing DS to chicken pox! Had I decided to expose him to it deliberately, it would not have been because it suited me, but rather because I thought it was best for him to have it young rather than old. Although as per my above post, now that I know there is a vaccine I will not need to consider it.

[ThatBloodyWoman]

I hadn't heard if the jab when mine got cp, and that was only about 6 years ago.

I would have looked into it had I known, but tbh, I don't think I'd have done it.
Probably couldn't afford it, and vaccinations can have side effects too.

hackmum is right about calculated risk imo.

[sashh]

The chance of your natural immunity waning is less than the chance of the immunity from the vaccine waning

Have you got any figures for that?

Oh and as 'natural' immunity is not 100% effective you still have no idea whether it is waning, still exists or has completely waned, as I said, you have no idea.

Surely if a) the disease is worse in adults (I know you didn't say that but you implied it), b) the vaccine is not as effective in adults and c) you can get to adulthood without contracting CP then you should be pro giving the vaccine?

[hackmum]

"Why would you deliberately do that?"

The reason you'd deliberately do it is to get it over with when they're young when it's probably going to be mild, rather than risk having them catch it when they're adult, when it's probably going to be really nasty.

It's about taking a calculated risk, like so many other things in life. You can't eliminate risk altogether, you can only do what you think is best for your child.

[sashh]

Hasn't it been shown that natural immunity from CP is more likely to be lifelong that that from the vaccine which like a lot of vaccines has been shown to only provide immunity for a limited time?

I don't think so, if it did then no one would ever have CP 2 or even 3 times

In the case of CP I can see exactly where Bumbley is coming from, unless there is some other risk factors then for most the vaccine at a young age may not be the best way to protect in the long term.

Vaccination (or complete isolation) is the only way to protect a child from CP long or short term, having them contract CP does protect them, they have the disease. Well, with the exception of getting immunity from being exposed to it but never being ill

[ThatBloodyWoman]

I thought the vast majority of kids got it unless you pay for the jab.

I allowed mine to gave contact with a child with it,and they caught it.

They had no underlying health ussues and they were at a reasonable age.

I understand those who find this such a difficult concept though.When I was a child my sibling had a life threatening disease and chicken pox would probably have been fatal.

With my dc's I was able to work out when they would be contagious and make adjustments to things accordingly.

[katese11]

We've just come out of quarantine after 2 weeks of bog standard chicken pox (though ds had a staph infection already which made me worry about infection) It was horrible. Although there were no complications, they still had a lot of discomfort and pain (ds more than dd) and the isolation almost drove us all mad. I know it's very common but it's not something I would ever welcome into my home

[wobblyweebles]

The varicella booster is given at age 4-6 just like the MMR booster in the UK.

The death rate from chickenpox has gone from 100 per year to zero since the vax was introduced.

[mrsjay]

would you let you child lick a germ infested toilet floor so they get D n V to boost their immune system No i dont think you would, don't make your child ill on purpose because it suits you, it is not fair

[blowsygirl]

Thank you all for your posts. Imaginaryposter I wish your DS all the best with his recovery, thank you for sharing your story.

To the posters who asked why I would expose my DS to CP at soft play, I can only say my understanding was that it was best for them to get it, it wasn't a big deal and thought that when it was going round I would be bound to pick it up at a big, hot, feral soft play venue I usually avoid like the plague. I won't be doing that now - we will be getting the vaccine.

[goldenlula]

Sorry bumbley I did miss that bit! Must read properly, but I still think deliberately trying to get cp is not a risk worth taking. I do, however, agree that I wouldn't vaccinate against it at a young age, but I had said if my children had not had it by teenage years I would consider it. I did not know that boosters had been introduced in America, from most threads on here I gathered that it was fine just to have the one course. None of that will probably matter as more than likely my other 2 will get it in the next couple of weeks, having been in such close contact with ds1.

[Sirzy]

You have no idea if your 'natural' immunity has waned.

Hasn't it been shown that natural immunity from CP is more likely to be lifelong that that from the vaccine which like a lot of vaccines has been shown to only provide immunity for a limited time?

In the case of CP I can see exactly where Bumbley is coming from, unless there is some other risk factors then for most the vaccine at a young age may not be the best way to protect in the long term.

[bumbleymummy]

Sassh, I've heard of plenty of adults ending up in intensive care with CP because they didn't have it when they were younger. I've heard of women miscarrying because they contracted CP during pregnancy.

Immunity is boosted through contact with the disease. The US had to introduce a booster in 2006 (after yet another one-jab-for-life pitch when the vaccine was initially introduced) because they found that immunity was waning due to there being less circulating CP. The chance of your natural immunity waning is less than the chance of the immunity from the vaccine waning. The vaccine is less effective in adulthood.

[sashh]

Even if complications of CP are rare have you ever heard of a child being in intensive care from not having CP?

Personally, I wouldn't vaccinate against it at this age. CP is worse as an adult so it is better that they have the opportunity to gain immunity to it rather than potentially having a life time of boosters and not knowing whether your immunity has waned.

You have no idea if your 'natural' immunity has waned. People can have CP more than once, it can also come back as shingles. I've seen a case of CP on a geriatric ward, I doubt many people in British towns get to 80 without being in contact with CP.