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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to consider the chicken pox vaccine?

119 replies

PassiveAggressivePamela · 23/02/2018 10:34

Reposting from children’s health as no replies....anyone’s DC had the CP vaccine? I have a DS who is 3.5 and has avoided every bout of it at his nursery, and a baby DD.

DH isn’t sure if he’s ever had it. Just wondering if it’s worth getting the DC the vaccine privately...no health issues, I know for some it’s mild and for a few it isn’t.

OP posts:
Bodicea · 23/02/2018 12:32

Both my kids have had. My eldest has severe eczema which is why we did him. And my youngest I got because I didn’t want to treat differently. Have my so much peace of mine as you don’t constantly worry before every holiday if the have been exposed.

SleepingInNewYork · 23/02/2018 12:54

It isn’t time limited; it is new so we don’t know how long it will last for yet. MMR is equally considered as time limited, yet we do not vaccinate throughout adult life because it doesn’t tend to wear off at the 15/20 year time span it is sold as covering. Obviously there are some exceptions but then some people are vaccinated against some things and still get the wild virus as well.

NurseryFightClub · 23/02/2018 13:06

If you are working consider the cost of vaccine against taking a week or two off work to stay home sick with them.
I'd rather use time off when dd is well

Worieddd · 23/02/2018 13:07

YANBU

PoptartPoptart · 23/02/2018 13:12

To those of you who have opted for this vaccine, are there any side effects?
Thinking about getting DS vaccinated. He is 13 and has never had CP. I worry that he’ll catch it during his GCSE’s or something!

QueenDramaLlama · 23/02/2018 13:16

After looking into it for my 2 children I decided not to as the vaccine does not offer life long protection.
There is a chance they could catch it as an adult and have a far more serious case.
Soon after my 2 both caught it and had it very mild with no suffering.

QueenDramaLlama · 23/02/2018 13:17

Having said that it they got to age 10 or more then I probably would have had it done.

KadabrasSpoon · 23/02/2018 13:22

I had it done recently as I figured if we all get it at once I won't be able to look after DCs and it'll be a nightmare. I found out I wasn't immune during pregnancy booking blood tests.
I was told vaccine in 75% effective perhaps because I'm an adult. But if I do catch it it'll probably be a milder case. Didn't have any side effects other than a sore arm. One side effect is that you can catch shingles - although this is the same as the majority of the population that have had CP.

I didn't get the DCs done but if they haven't had it by the time they are teens I will do.

AnyUsernameWillDo75 · 23/02/2018 13:22

2 of my DC had CP at younger age so no vaccine. The other two have had the vaccine. I think one of the risks is that if they get it in teenage years, it tends to be really bad.

Poptart In my experience, only mild side effects like a bit of temperature and slight discomfort but it goes quickly.

SayNoToCarrots · 23/02/2018 13:23

My son was one in China, they have it as standard there. I paid £20 and now he is six with no side effects or chicken pox. IIRC he only had the one dose.

MrsT4 · 23/02/2018 13:51

I took my 2yr old daughter to Superdrug to have it done 2 days ago.
She has had zero side effects so far, it was £65 and we have to go back in 4 weeks for a second dose which is also £65.
The nurse there told us it gave her lifelong immunity.
It’s a horrible thing to have,it is very rarely a ‘mild’ childhood disease in my experience, I have actually had it twice and vividly remember when I did have it being really ill.

londonrach · 23/02/2018 13:52

Im considering this too. Does anyone know how much and where you go

officerjudyhopps · 23/02/2018 14:08

We paid to have DD vaccinated shortly before she turned 3 - searched online to find a local private GP surgery to offer it. Think it was £65 for each dose.

She had no side effects and has now been exposed to CP several times and not caught it.

DD has eczema and is dreadful for scratching so we were worried how she would react to CP.

Additionally, as others have said CP is not the entirely harmless illness that it is advertised as and if a couple of political decisions had been made differently, all DC would be offered the CP vaccination as standard (and are in other countries).

If you want your DC to have the vaccination and are happy to pay for it, then of course YANBU.

BeanCalledPickle · 23/02/2018 14:34

My gp will do it for cost. They don’t want to have to deal with it any more than we do! If not then a travel clinic might otherwise it’s a private clinic

PinkyBlunder · 23/02/2018 14:52

I wish I had for DD1. She was so unwell with it last year Sad I will definitely be getting DD2 vaccinated

DoubleNegativePanda · 23/02/2018 14:58

My DD had it, we are in the US where it is part of the regular schedule. CP is pretty uncommon here at this point. I'm certainly glad I did it.

I've not heard of it being time-limited. She's had the one shot and two boosters. I'm not certain if it protects from shingles or not; it's extremely common for adults to get a shingles vaccine here as well.

I have had chicken pox as a child and shingles as an adult. Both are fucking miserable. I'll be very happy if she never has to go through it!

Polyethyl · 23/02/2018 15:00

I vaccinated my daughter when my mum got shingles.
Later, when CP swept through her school, she did get red spots, but they never blistered. The spots faded after 1 day. And she didn't feel ill at all.
Other children in her class were off school for a week, and one poor child for 2 weeks. I certainly can't afford to miss that much work to nurse a child through an avoidable illness. So I think it was money very well spent.

Youshallnotpass · 23/02/2018 15:03

We were looking into this for our little one but he actually ended up catching it while we were procrastinating. He had a reasonably mild case (Tons of spots mind, he was very itchy).

Now that's that... I guess having the vaccine also protects you from Shingles when you get older? that would be a huge bonus

OutyMcOutface · 23/02/2018 15:06

We did it. Cost effective (much cheaper than taking a week off work), no side effects, much more convenient than going for NHS jabs (you can choose whatever time you like). There was no reason not to do it. We were less inconvenienced than we would be when the children got ill and thechildren don't have to suffer throug it this way.

goose1964 · 23/02/2018 15:09

I've never had chicken pox, DS1 &2 had it whilst I was pregnant with DD so I was tested for antibodies and I had a full set.So it looks like I'm immune to it.If your kids have been exposed and have not had it they may well be the same

soberexpat · 23/02/2018 15:10

My DD had it when small. I had a hideous case of CP as a child and am still covered in scars. I didn’t want her to have to go through it.

KadabrasSpoon · 23/02/2018 16:51

No the chicken pox vaccine doesn't protect against shingles. In fact it means that you can get shingles. I was told this when I got the vaccine.
You'd need the shingles vaccine - free for older people.

BeanCalledPickle · 23/02/2018 19:19

THe other thing is that vacinnated
Children get an immune boost whenever they come into contact with ‘wild’ chicken pox circulating in the community. So the fact that people don’t routinely vaccinate actually supports those of you that do!

Original poster
PassiveAggressivePamela · 23/02/2018 19:19

Thanks so much! It does look like the best option I think. Looks like a few clinics round here do it so just a case of booking now.

OP posts:
BeanCalledPickle · 23/02/2018 19:23

OH and there is no individual increased risk of shingles to the individual. The concern is that adults get an immune boost from encountering chicken pox and this protects them against shingles. If there is no pox in the community they don’t get this boost. There is no risk specific to the vacinnated child, it is society which benefits from chicken pox circulating to reduce the adult risk