To Give DD The Chicken Pox Vaccine?

[puppy23]

DD is 17 now and still yet to catch chicken pox. From what I'm aware of it is much worse and riskier to catch in adulthood, and hence am researching the vaccine. Not sure where we could have it done yet with it not being offered on the NHS (if anyone knows let me know), but just curious to what other people's views are/the experiences of anyone whose had it?

I got it at 36w pregnant and it triggered my early labour at 37 weeks. I was perfectly fine, barely a handful of spots, but it could have been lethal for ds1 as a neonate.

Get her antibodies tested and get the vaccine, unquestionably.

Esmeralda that's an incredibly unusual reaction to a vaccine, thank goodness your baby is ok, can I ask why you had it given so late in pregnancy? The concerns are usually around congenital varicella syndrome. I personally wouldn't have given a woman so late in pregnancy the chicken pox or shingles vaccines unless I was concerned she had bee exposed to it.

Ugh sorry Esmeralda I misread your post as having had the vaccine rather than the virus!

Thank you everyone, DD's keen to have it done so think we'll make an appt with the GP for that blood test to be done and then find a clinic to have the vaccines if needed!

I didn't catch it until 15, and I still have the scars - they were everywhere, even places I didn't want to/couldn't put calamine. There was no virasoothe back then. I would encourage her to consider it.

Good choice op. Bear in mind shingles vaccine questions too

Our normal NHS GP practice did it for DD but as a private patient. It was much cheaper doing it through them than a Private GP.

It's a standard vaccine in the US (required for school) - and in Aus, too, I believe. My GP said the reason it's not given in the UK is that the decision has been made to let the virus remain in circulation as it provides a 'booster' for older people who might be susceptible to shingles (caused by the same virus). I didn't realise it was available in the UK until after my older child had already had chicken pox, but I did get it for my younger child (at a travel clinic - think it cost about £150 altogether) - my older DC was off nursery for more than a week when he had it and just managing childcare during that period was more than enough to make vaccination seem like a good idea!

I had it aged 21 years. My DS age 11 hasn't had it yet. Contemplating the vaccine for him ........

My best friend had CP in his early thirties and was seriously ill for a couple of weeks. I think you have made the right choice.

A friend caught chicken pox at the end of her first year at university and almost died. The after effects are still on-going 30 years later. I would get the jabs.

How long does the vaccine last? Do you have to remember to have boosters?

I've had both my DC vaccinated because I suffer from recurrent shingles, which I really wouldn't want them to ever experience.

A friend's teenage daughter was hospitalised with severe CP last week, it can be very mild but can also be a horrible illness.

It is a shame that the NHS doesn't do it, basically as the adult population wasn't vaccinated today's DC can just risk it if their parents can't afford the vaccine privately.