Aibu to think its so difficult to find information about chicken pox vaccine??

[Anotherdayanotherdollar]

Hi,

I'm deliberating whether or not to vaccinate my dcs against chicken pox. I'm finding it so difficult to find information about it though. Neither my gp nor my (usually excellent) pharmacist were able to help. I've read the nhs info page and the patient info leaflets for both available vaccines.

Does anybody know, do kids have to stay off school afterwards? The contact precautions for those that are immunosuppessed, are those applicable to all immunosuppessed people or just those that aren't immune to chickenpox? I can't imagine that the nhs would vaccinate non immune health care workers and then provide 6 weeks paid leave...

Can anyone shed any light??

Heresay but my friends gp said he isn't vaccinating his kids. Apparently it lasts about twenty years. They do, however, vaccinate routinely in the US for chicken pox, according to the same gp

Superdrug (if you're in the uk) offer the vaccine. They would also be able to answer all of your questions. Book an appointment online to have a chat first.

halyard thanks. My own gp doesn't have kids but another gp in the practice has had their children vaccinated.
I'm not sure about the 20 years thing, I've found contradictory posts but the nhs not the manufacturers state an "expiry" on the information leaflets. It's given routinely in many European countries as well as the US and Australia and to my (very limited) knowledge they don't give repeated vaccines throughout adulthood. Although I'm open to correction on that!

I wouldn't have thought they need to stay off school. Yout don't need to do that for any other vaccine and some of them are live

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/456562/Green_Book_Chapter_34_v3_0.pdf

This is the link to the Green Book chapter on chicken pox which is what HCPs in England are guided by

No you don’t need to stay off school after getting the vaccine. It’s the same as any other vaccine. I’ve had all my kids done and my gp recommended it. His kids all had it done. They suggest you might want to get a booster of it in adulthood but that’s easily done

We got DS vaccinated at 2yo and Superdrug advised there was no need for him to stay off nursery. He had absolutely no side effects and was running around fine within minutes, showing everyone where the 'special medicine' had gone into his leg. He's been exposed to chicken pox since and hasn't caught it so I'd say it's worth it for peace of mind. Info on the necessity for a top-up later is conflicting, but of course we'll get the booster for him in 20 years if it's indicated by then.

Thanks for the input! I'm not in the UK fraggle but I had a look at the superdrug site and I found a bit more info on that! I'll check out the book chapter faster.
Thanks again!

I had my kids done recently - according to the nurse who did them, it's often HC professionals who choose to get their kids vaccinated as they see the more complicated cases of CP.

There's more information here - www.citydoc.org.uk/chickenpox-vaccination/.

Superdrug and Boots both offer the vaccine.

No.if you ask the gp surgery they will give you the info needed. Ours cost about £60 per jab over a four week period. Two jabs.

I know a consultant who specialises in infectious diseases and he recommends it. I had my son vaccinated, 2 seperate injections. Unfortunately he was one of the few who got it anyway but had it very mildly thanks to the vaccine.

I think anyone providing the vaccine should be able to give you some information. Although, my local pharmacist told me not only that they couldn't vaccinate DC1 when I was pregnant with DC2, but that I shoudl avoid contact with DC1 throughtout pregnancy (!!) just in case she might have caught chickenpox at nursery (no reason to think this in particular, and also very overcautious since I have had CP myself as a child so am immune). Which rather made me doubt the rest of the advice he dished up.

There is an interesting article about why the NHS doesn't vaccinate here:
www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/may/15/real-reason-british-public-chickenpox-vaccine-shingles

DS had the vaccination recently so it's fresh in my memory. He didn't have to stay off nursery at all after the jab, and was completely fine afterwards. His dad is immunocompromised and we were advised that he should take normal precautions (handwashing etc) but he was fine to be around him. They said that if it were someone severely immunocompromised (in hospital having chemo or similar) then it wouldn't be safe to take DS to visit but other than that it was life as normal.

My DS (now 8) had it when he was 3.5. No side effects and certainly no instruction to keep him home.

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/varicella/hcp/index.html

Info for US parents when their kids have the varicella vax, in case it helps.

Had my child vaccinated. No side effects and no time off for anyone, was very quick and easy. Gp mentioned in passing they started offering it as many of the paediatricians in my area were asking him to do it for them.

My first DC had very bad CP so I had the second DC vaccinated... but they caught it before getting the second vaccination but the CP wasn't too bad (and now at least she must have excellent immunity!).

My oldest DD was hospitalized and nearly died from complications due to chicken pox so my youngest DS got the vaccine. No fever, no missing school, and no more worries.

Both of my children had the CP vax as toddlers. we lived abroad at the time, but didn't receive the booster as we had moved back to the UK by the time they were meant to have it, I think it's recommended to have a booster a couple of years later. Both have had CP since. The youngest only had a very mild case. The eldest, who was overdue his booster, was covered head to toe and very itchy. The vaccine doesn't stop your child from getting them, just lessens the severity.

Both my DSs have had it as I am immunocompromised and not to immune to CP.
We had it on the nhs because I'm vulnerable but both times the GP had to do some research as they'd never done it before and it had to be ordered in as they don't stock it routinely.
Both kids didn't have to stay off nursery and although not ideal I could still look after them as the risk is very very small. In fact apart from the part that it's two doses so you take them to be stabbed twice it was relatively pain free as jabs go.

I believe some Boots do it privately, have a look at their website

Thanks again for the info! I don't know anyone in real life who has vaccinated their kids for chicken pox so I really appreciate that people have shared their experiences.

What age were people's children when they had the vaccination? We're thinking of getting it for DS - he's 11 months now. It seems it can be done anytime over a year but they recommend having it at least six weeks away from MMR (which obviously is more important) so we were thinking of him having the first jab at 15 months - did anyone else do this?

Eldest child has CP when he was 17 months and I was BF his brother aged 7 weeks. Youngest has never had CP , possibly because he got more immunity from me at the time. Had youngest vaccinated last year ( age 17) as I thought it might be more inconvenient / nastier for him to get it as an adult. No issues at all. It went well but we used a local pharmacy as they had a little franchise to do it. 2 jabs 6 weeks apart. Hopefully he's sorted now

I was surprised that the CP vaccine isn't routinely given in the UK. DD was born abroad and had hers at about 18 months I think - spaced with the other vaccines so not all at once (I recall that it had to be a certain number of months apart from MMR). And she had hepatitis B as soon as she was born, also as a matter of course.

@wonkylegs gp surgeries do keep it in stock for those who are willing to pay for it