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?

If they’ve not caught it by school starting age I would - first dc was vaccinated and second one had it aged 2. It’s vile to get when older, I was about 7 and a few scars

I've vaccinated DS, if he needs a booster later in life then that's not a problem. £130 was a small price to pay to avoid the prospect of cancelled holidays or parties and missing work and school, not to mention the possibility of a severe reaction or permanent scarring.

Mine have both had the vaccine. It was a stretch financially for us but as they were getting older with no sign of it despite being around plenty of cases I thought I'd get them properly protected. Really pleased I did.

Lifetime immunity? Hah! I've had it 5 times. First was the worst time. Every time since then hasn't been so bad. Most recent case was a few weeks ago (after a gap of 20+ years)

And yes definitely chicken pox
And no not shingles
Yes Doctor confirmed it
I'm not lying

I was planning on getting it for my youngest, but prioritised the Men B vaccine. Then he caught CP. He was lucky to have it mildly. I know a child who was the 1 in 10,000 or whatever who had a serious complication so yes I would encourage people to vaccinate against it.

I didn't vaccinate my 2 and don't think I would if I had my time again. Dd had it age 3 and ds at 6 months. Maybe if they still hadn't had it by age 10ish I'd think about it

@GiggleMcDimples that is absolutely untrue. The introduction of the chicken pox vaccine in the US has very significantly cut death and disability from chicken pox with no negative effects from the vaccine. It has been used completely safely for over 20 years in the US and many other developed countries.

It’s a national scandal that we still have people dying every year from an entirely preventable disease.

Actually news from only a few days ago shows findings that the vaccination can actually decrease the chances of childhood shingles. So scrap what I said further up.

@GiggleMcDimples thanks giggle. Good to know

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

It's not on the vaccination schedule so SS would have no interest

I’ve vaccinated my daughter who’s just turned 2, but I do understand why some people choose not to. I thought long and hard about it after doing some reading up on it as there seemed to be no clear concensus that ‘yes this will last forever’ or ‘no, you won’t be more at risk of shingles later in life.’ But a friend’s child has been left with a damaged body part through chicken pox and I wanted to give my child the best chance of avoiding something like that.

Zsazsajuju yeah I just read it. I know I definitely read something a few years back, but I assume that must've been distributed by people who don't believe in vaccines.
Personally I'm all for vaccines.
Both my boys had chickenpox but I don't think there were any vaccines when I had them. Or not that I was ever made aware of.

I agree. Mine both missed it at nursery and I got mine vaccinated, can be an awful illness and I'd rather not watch them go through it

@SciFiScream did it start behind your ears? Because if not it was HFM which you can catch unlimited times and presents exactly the same apart from where the blisters start.

And if you'd had genuine chicken pox 5 times you are seriously immumo compromised and might want to discuss that with your GP, and I would be pretty worried.

Loads of parents think 'chicken pox' because they don't know what hfm is. Loads of parents for the past two hundred years have thought the same because of poor public health information.

The way the virus stays dormant means it can only emerge as shingles in the nerve endings so, which is it? 🤷

With hindsight I would have vaccinated. My eldest had it mildly, but youngest had it twice; once mildly as a baby then severely aged 2. She was very unwell and 7 years later still has very visible scarring all over her body. I don't know why the NHS don't offer it. It's very often not a mild disease.

Twenty five deaths a year from chickenpox in U.K.

YANBU, but I agree with PP that people are probably either unaware, or can't afford it at the time. It is expensive. We vaccinated DS1 when he was 18 months because he'd had a horrendous virus at 15 months which caused the worst body and face skin rash I've seen, and he really suffered. Didn't want him to go through anything remotely like that again! I hadn't even realised before then that it can cause disabilities etc so that just cemented my decision. Will need to fork out for DS2 to have it eventually (he's only 3 months).

Kitten, do you have comprehension difficulties? The OP is talking about chickenpox vaccinations. Not offered by the NHS. SS will not have the slightest interest.

I agree, OP. I put it off, but DS has reached the end of Year 2 without catching it, despite several outbreaks at school and nursery, so we’re going to vaccinate.

@Broombroomshaketheroom also untrue. Vaccine is decades old, extremely effective and very safe. As I said chicken pox can kill, it’s not harmless. Please read the research. And how awful to say that to a pp with a child who has cancer.

Also getting chicken Pox does not necessarily confer lifelong immunity or even superior immunity to the vaccine. Some people don’t develop immunity whether they get the vaccine or disease. We don’t fully know why yet.

Children die every year in the uk from chicken pox. There’s a safe and effective vaccine that could save most of them.

DSis is a consultant paediatrician, she suggested vaccinating DS so we did. We'll do the same for DC2. Trust the experts.

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
SS don't 'take children away' from parents who don't choose to vaccinate at all. Or lock up adults who don't vaccinate their children all themselves
The chicken pox vaccine isn't on the NHS schedule so people are hardly fucking stupid for not having it.

For anyone thinking of vaccinating, some bigger branches of Boots and Superdrug offer chicken pox vaccinations. Alas, nowhere near us does, , and our GP surgery won’t do it (I believe some will if you pay for the vaccine), so we’ve had to find a private GP.

*or not all.
Maybe I'm 'fucking stupid' after all

Well the thing is technically I can afford to but I’m never going to prioritise private healthcare over other thing in these circumstances.

My DC have been vaccinated, the main reason was the reduced likelihood they will contract shingles (I've had shingles and it was the worst illness of my life) I also didn't want them getting chicken pox too old really suffering and I worry about scarring.

For those in two minds perhaps wait and see if your DC contract it at a young age, if they start getting a little older and still haven't caught chicken pox then consider vaccinating?