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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Chicken pox vaccine?

46 replies

Vaccineque · 18/11/2019 11:39

Posting here for traffic mainly. So my dc are 6 and 4 and still haven’t had chicken pox. I’m getting to the point now where I think I’m just going to get them vaccinated? Had anyone else gone this route and if so any advice or info!?? Thank you.

OP posts:

Celebelly · 18/11/2019 12:40

Thanks @welshweasel A quick Google suggests nowhere near us that does it but I'll do some more investigating!

Autumntoowet · 18/11/2019 12:40

OP we did my son at 1yo and no side effects (he had side effects with the routine ones)
I will be doing DD when she is 1
Massive peace of mind.

SayOohLaLa · 18/11/2019 12:43

I am still keen for our 16 month old to have this. DS has had 2 boughts of CP and shingles in 10 years, I don't want the baby to get it in the same way, but the vaccine is so expensive. Didn't I hear right that they were about to include CP in the standard vaccinations when the MMR / BMJ article broke and reduced confidence so they held back? I'm outraged that a vaccine commonly available in mainland Europe/ the US, isn't on the NHS here, whether for "confidence" reasons or to ensure enough children keep getting it to keep adults free of shingles.

throughmytrees · 18/11/2019 12:47

I've not heard of one that can be given under one year of age. Lots of cases have shown people are losing immunity as quickly as 6 years and there is thought to be huge overconfidence in its protection.

But we had to get ds done before he could start school so I didn't have much of a choice as I didn't want to homeschool.

Minai · 18/11/2019 12:48

We had my now 2.5 year old vaccinated when he was 14 months and he had no side effects and avoided getting chicken pox when a lot of his little friends got it last year. Will get the baby vaccinated too when he is old enough. My niece really suffered with it so if I can avoid them going through that by vaccinating it’s a no brainer for me.

Damntheman · 18/11/2019 13:51

I looked into doing it here (Norway) but they sure didn't make it easy. Blood tests for both kids required, which in turn required going to the hospital because the GP didn't have a small enough needle for my toddler. Then a lecture from my GP about how they don't offer it as standard for littles here because they're not sure of long term consequences and are worried about adults losing the shingles 'booster' immune kick that we get when around chicken poxy kids.. I gave up in the end and my kids got the pox at about the same time over summer at the ages of nearly 3 and 6. We were quite lucky and it wasn't so bad. Just putting the other side across, the whole thing confused and tore me as to what to do.

I definitely see why people do vaccinate for it!

Jemma2907 · 18/11/2019 14:24

Definitely do it! I had my 4 year old and 1 year old done this summer. My 4year old was about to start school and I didnt want him to catch it and then have lots of time off. I got my 1 year old done at the same time just because I thought I may as well! It's such a relief to know we wont get at least 1 of the many childhood illnesses that do the rounds!

SuperDuperJezebel · 18/11/2019 14:47

I got my DD vaccinated because she comes to work with me as a nanny and it would be a disaster if she got it and I needed lots of time off, and I've seen so many horrid cases of it. A month later the younger child I nanny got it, a really vicious case, and she avoided it completely, despite spending all her time in close proximity to him (even bathing together). Never been so relieved in my life!

SVRT19674 · 18/11/2019 14:55

Here in Spain it is part of the vaccination programme and given at 15 months. My daughter got it last week in the leg. No problems and she is fine with it.

Celebelly · 18/11/2019 15:08

@welshweasel Thanks for the tip; we found somewhere locally that does from 9mo and have booked DD in.

jmamminski · 18/11/2019 15:35

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MustardScreams · 18/11/2019 15:39

@jmamminski umm, what?

UpToMyElbowsInDiapers · 18/11/2019 15:43

I live in Canada and it’s part of the standard vaccines here. No side effects. I don’t know any kids my children’s age who have had the chicken pox, but my brother and sister had it when I was younger (pre-vaccine) and my brother was totally fine but my sister got quite dangerously ill. It’s really no joke for some kids and I honestly don’t understand why the vaccine isn’t routine in the UK.

MaryShelley1818 · 18/11/2019 15:48

I got DS done at 13mths as soon as he was able to have it. Chickenpox isn’t always mild and I’d far rather pay for a couple of immunisations than let him suffer.

Just for information though @AnneLovesGilbert it is a live vaccine so you can still get Shingles in later life as the CP virus will be in the body.

Autumntoowet · 18/11/2019 16:12

Lots of cases have shown people are losing immunity as quickly as 6 years and there is thought to be huge overconfidence in its protection.
Lots of cases? Could you share please?
I have researched the opposite and it is a routine vaccine in my home country

NickMyLipple · 18/11/2019 16:28

I had my daughter vaccinated when she turned one. Apart from the fact it isn't always mild, it would cost me more to have 5 days off childcare for her and 5 days off work for me than the vaccine costs!

SingaporeSlinky · 18/11/2019 16:52

I got my DC done in Superdrug. I believe Boots offer it too, but only certain ones and my closest didnt. 2 doses, I think about 6 weeks apart, so I just booked the 2nd dose while i was there for the 1st.
I was told the research isn’t extensive enough yet to know if they’ll need a booster when they’re adults, but at the moment, research is apparently showing they won’t need it.
My cousin got chicken pox for the first time while sitting her A-levels and it was awful, so to me it was worth the cost to protect my DC.

grandmasterstitch · 18/11/2019 18:47

Been reading this with interested. DS 21 months is booked in for his with boots tomorrow. Most people I talk to do the eyebrow raise "why would you pay for it? All kids get it, it's fine" but if I can stop him from suffering why wouldn't I? It's taken me this long to persuade DH. I take immunosuppressant drugs so although I've been fine with all the kids I've nannied, having DS 24/7 with CP probably isn't the best

NeverForgetYourDreams · 19/11/2019 06:16

I waited til DS was 12 and wish I had done it before. It was two vaccinations. Cost £100 for both. Private GP. Best thing we did because didn't want him getting as an adult because I caught it age 21 and was awful.

IWantADifferentName · 19/11/2019 06:27

I had chicken pox as an adult.

Get them vaccinated.

TheSandgroper · 19/11/2019 07:19

I had chicken pox as an adult. It was hell.

DM got it again once she was immunocompromised and it nearly killed her. Two months in hospital and it was touch and go a more than once.

It's on the schedule here (Au) so dd was fully covered which was good as neither she nor I would have been able to visit DM. And that would have killed us both.

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