Chicken pox vaccine

[Givemecoffeeplease]

A mate is getting her 1 year old child inoculated against chicken pox. Seems a no brainer to ensure they don't get two weeks of nasty itching and the inevitable hassles that come with time off work for parents. But is there any benefit to chicken pox? I remember my mum being v keen for us to catch it but I would hope that the benefits that come from catching it - ie you become immune - are covered by a vaccine. Any thoughts please? AIBU to take this lazy way out.....?! Many thanks.

Sorry - that should be available as well.

I vaccinated my 3DC vaccinated privately; 2 jabs, 6 weeks apart. My bro and I have both have scars on our faces from when we had it as kids. Not a huge deal but I thought if there was a vaccine available, I may as well get it for them. No ill-effects for my 3. Would recommend it.

My 2 elder DCs got CP, it was pretty grim for them. I got DC3 vaccinated.

I got the first vaccination from a private GP - £120

By the time of the second one I found out I could get the vaccination through my normal GP's surgery - £65.

Both mine were vaccinated because DD had a history of nasty skin infections. (It was done by our French GP).

This was back in the day when only one dose of the vaccine was recommended instead of two. A couple of years later, DS's best friend got CP so both my kids were exposed. Because the single vaccine dose doesn't provide full protection they did both catch it - although it was so mild that if we hadn't had a case in close proximity I wouldn't have known (about a dozen spots that came and went within 24-48 hours - I'd have thought insect bites in any other situation). I assume they now have immunity.

I think it would increase uptake

People are finally coming back to the MMR - offering a single measles vaccine would undermine all that good work. Don't forget that Wakefield wasn't just misguided, he was being paid by lawyers who had a monetary interest in discrediting the MMR. He is a disgrace to the profession and has blood on his hands.

bumbleymummy, I don't think the government/Department of Health is all that big a fan of changing policy for the sole purpose of pandering to the scientifically illiterate. Unless it would win votes, I suppose.

Exactly, threegoingonthirty. You have to think what kind of a message introducing an 'idiot-friendly' single measles vaccine would be giving out. It would be a case of shooting oneself in the foot.

Both of mine had Chicken Pox. My Ds was like bubble wrap and had spots everywhere, don't remember taking two weeks off work though.

When DD had it she only had two spots on her bum, it had no effect on her. But she did get Shingles when she was 3, though that did not seem to bother her either.

Even if they had not had it I don't think I would vaccinate just to avoid taking time off work.

I had the vaccine when I was 20. I got cp at 32. Prior to that I was exposed to it many times including my brother and classmates over many years and I never got it. Till age 32. It was not great. V painful.

If your children haven't had it do get the vaccine. My children had cp via nursery and my son unfortunately developed an immunological illness after that which required hospitalisation at great ormond st. He's thankfully in remission but we have yearly checks now.

Smilas, I understand that and many people share that opinion. However, some people will never want to give their child the MMR and I think if the aim is to get as many people vaccinated against measles as possible then offering the single vaccine would help to achieve that. Let's remember that at the time of the press conference with Wakefield, the single measles vaccine was available on the NHS. I think it was a bad decision to remove it when there was so much concern about the MMR.

Anyway, this is about the CP vaccine and I don't want to be accused of derailing - I was just answering someone's question on the previous page.

I looked into it when CP was doing the rounds at nursery and I was due to have major surgery which required all kinds of military childcare logistics which would have broken down in the event they got it. Decided against it because of the concerns I had about immunity wearing off when they were older and it being a) being a more unpleasant experience and b) if dd had ended up not fully immune if/when she decided to get pregnant. I would have felt guilty if she wasn't fully immune during a pregnancy and became exposed to it.

bumbleymummy, I was given the single measles vaccine along with the rest of my class at some point in primary school, I assumed it was a standard booster for the measles part of MMR, but perhaps not - this is the first I've heard of single measles vaccine not being standard at that point in school (nb, I've never heard of it being standard either, just assumed due to having it).

I was never given the MMR as a baby due to the religious views of my father, and I have had both rubella and mumps. After the mumps I went and got myself an MMR jab.

Your mum wanted you to catch it at the same time as your siblings so she would deal with everyone at once. Other than that there is no benefit!