AIBU to vaccinate my children against chicken pox?

[chickchickchickchickenpox]

I want to vaccinate my children against chicken pox, but is it selfish?

From what I can see the main reasons for it not being part of the regular childhood immunisations is because it is 1) usually mild . And 2) to protect the adult population from chicken pox (when it can be more serious to contract it) and shingles.

My reasons for leaning towards paying privately to get it are that it is not always mild in childhood (I have seen firsthand in my previous career a child who developed septicaemia from chicken pox and was critically unwell with it - I'm not sure of the outcome).

Even in a mild form they will have flu like symptoms and itchy spots which could then scar - none of which sounds fun for toddlers to have to go through; but possibly selfishly if I vaccinate my children - that could mean that others could be at an increased risk of getting it in adulthood.
AIBU?

The problem is how long the vaccine lasts is unknown, they say 10-20 years so really unless you have antibodies tested every 10 years you're looking at 10 yearly boosters for life in order to avoid in adulthood, and as the consequences can be serious on balance I think it's better to contract it in childhood. No it's not always mild but the chances of complications are far fewer.

It's been on the recommended vaccination schedule for children (a primary and a booster) in the US for ages, so the CDC here has decided that the benefits outweigh the risks.

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/varicella/public/

My siblings and I had febrile convulsions and so we weren’t allowed the MMR. We had every disease going but were the illest with chickenpox , even worse than measles and mumps for us. My kids were vaccinated with MMR but not chickenpox. When it was doing the rounds my eldest Dd got it much much worst than her classmates and my youngest ended up in hospital fighting for her life. A few classmates got away with a dozen spots. A boy in the next town who presented exactly like my Dd in the same week died of chickenpox.
I often wonder if there is some genetic link as to how badly you get chickenpox.

I don’t understand the NHS’s rationale for not introducing. WHO recommend it.
I agree. We moved to the US when DD was a baby so she’s been vaccinated. Had we stayed in the U.K. I would have done it privately. I really don’t buy the NHS’ reasoning when the WHO and most other western countries say otherwise. It suspect it probably comes down to the cost.

I don’t know why but I do think the NHS will come round in the next 5 years or so.

I am of the generation where I remember the HPV vaccine being discussed as a “never on the NHS” solution back in 1999.

Luckily times have changed and it proves that even a creaky chronically underfunded behemoth like the NHS can come round to realise when something really is worth investing in for the health of the public as a whole.

Two oldest DC had chicken pox, oldest lightly and barely noticed it, middle one really poorly, high temperature, in mouth, all over body, was horrific.

I was immunised as a child (parent on chemotherapy) and still immune around 40 (immunity tested ahead of potential exposure whilst pregnant). I immunised youngest DD, may look into booster for her and myself at a later stage .

I really don’t understand this explanation from the NHS. How is this different from any other vaccine that they roll out to children in regard to the unvaccinated adults?

I paid to get my twins vaccinated because I just couldn't face having to do the whole 'keeping a poxy child off nursery and away from everyone / everywhere' thing twice, potentially consecutively, in addition to all annual leave I needed to take for DS1's school hols.

Weight off my mind. Didn't give it a second thought.

I vaccinated dc2 because dc1 had chicken pox so badly, I didn't want him to go through that. Didn't know about the vaccine for dc1, I.e. that you could get it privately.

I was a bit worried that he might still get it as an adult, for instance Ilif the jab isn't all that effective, so I'm glad to read that's not the reason it isn't given more widely.

I did it. It can be really severe. Lots of people don't, however, so don't worry about the population level impact.

I'm getting my youngest two vaccinated. I've got a chicken pox scar in a prominent place on my face from when I was a young child ☹

DC1 has been vaccinated. DC2 will be vaccinated too (but had a bad reaction to 1 year vaccinations and was hospitalised so I’m waiting until DC2 is a bit older to get it done).

I'm well and truly sold!

Can they be vaccinated for it at 1 year?

Yes, 12 months is the minimum age x

I vaccinated myself aged 17 having never had it yet, all I will advise is that they will need 10 year follow up jabs too but otherwise go for it

Thanks all

Can they be vaccinated for it at 1 year?

It needs to either be given with MMR (effectively MMRV) or else wait a month and then given, followed by the second booster.

My little has had her second jab today. She’s been fine after both injections and I’m really glad we did it. The nurse told me that she didn’t really understand why people bothered getting it when she started her job in the clinic as her own children had had it very mildly. But she said she’s found that the majority of parent bringing their children in for this vaccine are medical professionals who presumably have a broader profession experience of treating children with CP.

Just remember they will need boosters as it's more serious in adulthood and the vaccine isn't for life. We opted against it despite it being on the schedule because catching it gives lifelong immunity

I had DS vaccinated. I had CP when I was 13 so old enough to remember vividly and it was hideous.
I’ve heard of children being really ill with it and didn’t want to run that risk if preventable.
I’ve also paid for him to have the Men B privately as he missed it on the nhs as too old.
Also I didn’t want any holidays ruined by him coming down with it before we flew! So yes maybe selfish but I don’t care.

I would. I have it twice as a child (even though you apparently can’t) and the second time it went onto my lungs and I was in hospital. It can be really nasty, I think I’ll get my ds done when he’s old enough.

@PolarBearDisguisedAsAPenguin thank you, I didn't know that was possible, I'm certainly going to look into that now.

yanbu
I coudn't afford for dc not to have the vaccine.
I couldn't stay away from work for up to 2 weeks, or pay a private nanny for that time.

Both mine were privately vaxed.

I really suffered from CP and I wanted to spare them. It can be horrendous.

The jabs were also a lot cheaper than the cost of trying to find childcare for a sick child.

You can stop any scarring by using calamine lotion and scratch mittens.

Sadly, this isn’t true. My eldest never scratched at all - his spots were painful, not itchy - and he still has large, visible scars that are mostly on his torso. He had it when he was 2, he is now 7. The spots were very deep - it’s nasty in some kids. DS2 is vaccinated.

One of the underlying reasons it’s not currently in the UK schedule is that there is a concern that it would decrease the already wobbly rates of MMR vaccination and be used to scare new parents by the anti-vax movement.

The shingles theory is relatively debunked thanks to population studies in places that have been vaccinating for years. There is an increase in young adults but not the elderly.

I have a real issue with knowingly letting children become ill with an unpleasant and occasionally dangerous disease, and increasing their lifelong risk of shingles (according to some studies) to protect young adults from an unpleasant illness for which a vaccine exists.