In thinking you should vaccinate against Chicken Pox if you can afford it?

[shutyourlittleface]

I just don't see the downside.

I currently have two mum mates moaning about their nurseries having confirmed chicken pox cases. They could just have their kids vaccinated to alleviate the worry surely?

Why when you can just send them to nursery to catch it at the ideal age?

I have vaccinated, but am worried it was the wrong call - are my DC likely to catch it as adults because their immunity will wear off?

I think vaccination for chicken pox just isn’t very mainstream yet so it might not really occur to people? I don’t know anyone who has had their dc vaccinated against it, thought I am considering it myself but I expect a few raised eyebrows if I tell people as I think some friends will either think it’s a waste of money or a bit over protective? I am just assuming that though. But I do worry about chicken pox and don’t like that it’s hanging over us, waiting for them to get it.... but it is quite expensive if you need to vaccinate multiple children! You’d have to be quite well off or have good savings to do it without a second thought if you had 2/3 kids to pay for.

Very unlikely that they'll get it as an adult if they've been vaccinated. They can have a booster anyway.

Even if they do get it as adult, they will get a milder form anyway I believe?

No, there's a downside to the vaccine which is why not all countries offer it as part of the vaccination programme. It's an economic vaccine, in other words it reduces absence from work. I looked into it in depth as it was part of the vaccine schedule where we lived and I declined it, they caugh chickenpox within 3 months of starting school returning to England, yes they lost a week of school a piece but they got lifetime immunity.

Why when you can just send them to nursery to catch it at the ideal age?

Because you can't make sure they catch it at the ideal age.. and it's not always mild for everyone. Even if it is mild, it's still a horrible illness, and one that can be avoided.

Just googled it £150 per person! That is steep!
Isn’t it better to just let young children catch it?

My sister caught it when she was 11 and was really really ill. She's also got quite bad scarring on her face. I want to avoid that.

I was thinking of getting DS vaccinated. He still hasnt caught it and he's 10. I know its worse when youre older.

Much better to vaccinate- chicken pox can kill and cause permanent disabilities. It enrages me that it spreads round nurseries in this country still. It’s particularly dangerous for pregnant women who may have older children at a nursery. It’s not harmless by any stretch of the imagination. It’s a failing of the NHS that we are not vaccinating and no evidence that 2 step vaccine wears off at all. Please don’t listen to anti vaccers on this.

I would definitely vaccinate (and did) rather than have my child get and spread around a potentially fatal disease.

If I had my time again, I would have vaccinated my children. All 3 have had chicken pox and none suffered badly. However my eldest has quite a lot of facial scarring which I feel now was entirely avoidable. He didn't have a particularly bad case, nor did he scratch excessively yet the scarring is there. I wish I had vaccinated.

I wouldn't choose to vaccinate against what is most likely to be a mild illness, and if I had my time again, I wouldn't vaccinate against mumps or rubella either.

Chicken pox can kill at any age. It’s worse in adults and particularly dangerous for pregnant women but can kill children too. There’s no safe age to get it and even if there was is it really ok to spread a disease that could kill or maim to save £150?

I was expecting to be panned but glad to see some people agree with me.

I will always remember the thread on here from a mum whose son was seriously unwell and they didn't know why until they found one pox on his foot. I think he suffered life changing damage from it. I vaccinated both of my dc.

It was considered here in the UK but with the uptake of MMR already dwindling they didn't want to add another vaccination (it would be done at the same time) and they also wanted to roll out the shingles vaccination first (which they've been doing for a few years now).

Also it's not cost effective for the NHS.

I’ve vaccinated mine. I think a lot of people don’t realise it’s an option, or don’t act until it’s too late.

It was considered here in the UK but with the uptake of MMR already dwindling they didn't want to add another vaccination (it would be done at the same time)

Yes I've heard this is the reason which is really disappointing. Although I understand why the nhs wouldn't want to risk scaring more people off the MMR

Of course you fucking should. It's a no fucking brainer. If you don't vaccinate your DC then you are totally fucking stupid! And quite frankly, I hope SS take them away from you for putting them at risk.

Try having your DC having cancer. A thing you can't vaccinate against. Mine had a malignant brain tumour. Every fucking child who had not been vaccinated who was on his ward threatened his life. Thankfully he survived. I despise Anti Vaxxers wih a passion.

From what I read a few years back, in America they have a problem with children getting g shingles and complications from shingles young, because they've had the vaccine. Whereas shingles is something you usually get as an adult. I don't have any links to research on this though it's just something I remember reading a few years ago.

I dunno. I paid a couple of hundred (I can’t remember exact amounts) to get my daughter the meningitis vaccination because she was born a couple of months before they started vaccinating and didn’t qualify.

I couldn’t afford the chicken pox vaccination as well. I do appreciate it’s not pleasant (she’s actually just had it and it wasn’t nice but i have seen her worse) and in some cases there can be complications but surely in the vast majority of cases its nothing spectacular?

The point I’m trying to make is that for me it was chicken pox vs meningitis vaccination due to the cost. And I’d choose meningitis vaccination a thousand times over.

I completely agree, DS (18mths) has had the vaccination and the booster. No amount of money would be worth risking his health for. I know of several parents who’s children have been seriously ill and hospitalised with it.

My 3 year old had chicken pox at 6 months and although he couldn't itch properly, he still had facial scarring. It was awful when he had it and I hadn't heard of a vaccine for chicken pox. My second son will be vaccinated. Going to book it tomorrow, thanks for reminding me!

I'm not sure. Both my DC had it young and sailed through it. DH had it as an adult and it caused meningitis. He was quite unwell. I don't know if the risk of immunity disappearing is worth it. Luckily, I don't need to know as we are hopefully done with it.

I’m with you OP. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t if you could afford to

Oh shut up @KittenSnuggler. This is chicken pox. My son is fully vaccinated under the UK schedule, but I would not get him the chicken pox vaccine, because there is no bloody point.

I'd rather he caught it as a mild virus as a toddler and have better immunity than a vaccine that isn't even proved to work long term.

Give your head a wobble. Have you been revaccinated? As it's likely your MMR from the 90's has well and truely worn off by now too 🙄