to pay for my daughter to have the chicken pox vaccine?

[cherrybun01]

hi,

UK based so this isnt part of routine immunizations here (as I'm sure many know). I have seen you can pay to have it done in children, I was really for it but have now had doubts put in my mind.

my partner was a bit on the fence but his 4 year old niece had it this year and was very uncomfortable and unwell so he decided okay let's do it. but my mum, who is not massive on vaccines anyway but whole other story there, has said it is completely unnecessary as it's a mild illness and how do I know a vaccine that is not routine over here is "safe"

she has not dropped it since and has made me paranoid and anxious. I just feel like if I can avoid my baby getting in the state that 4 year old niece did and being fortunate enough to be in a position to avoid that why not?

has anyone here had this vaccine for their children? how was it? would anyone not do it, on the flip side, and if so why?

thanks!

My dd had chickenpox when she was in nursery. Relatively normal case with feeling poorly and lots of spots. My ds who was born afterwards, managed to go through nursery, junior school and senior school without catching it despite being in very close contact with lots of kids who turned out to have it. When he was 15 I decided that he was unlikely to catch it naturally soon so got him immunised as I know how horrid it can be for adults. Two injections - no reactions - no regrets about getting it done.

You should get your personal shots updated - I'd speak to your GP surgery as it's apparently a real risk for adults of your age whose parents refused vaccinations because of Wakefield.

Go for the chicken pox. It's standard in lots of places. And never mind anything else, even when it's mild (as it was for DS) it's at least a week off school etc. Not that big a deal when they're three (assuming you don't have childcare issues) but a huge hassle when they're in year 3 or whatever. Plus the loss of cash as they still have to pay for any activities etc they're signed up for.

I had chickenpox in my late teens and it was awful, I was really ill, missed loads of school and had to re-take A levels. I think tends to be worse the older you are, though I also have a friend whose baby son was hospitalised with it. We're both fine now, no lasting effects, and I know it can be a mild illness, but I would rather vaccinate than experience what I had or my friend's son.

I got it for DS who was 18 months at the time. We were due to attend a friend's wedding abroad which was very expensive. I didn't want anything to ruin it plus DS was a 'spirited' toddler who would not have coped well with being cooped up indoors. I don't regret it for an instant. Also on a very superficial level he has gorgeous skin and I didn't want him scarred unnecessarily.

Both my children got it but then I know a 2 year old who died from complications of chicken pox. In a lot of kids it is a mild childhood illness, in some it's a very serious illness and others a deadly illness.. but unfortunately there is no way of knowing which hand your child will be dealt till it's too late. So personally I'd rather not take that chance.

I didn’t realise it was available back when DD was a baby, otherwise I’d have paid for it. She got chicken pox really badly and still has the scars. It was a miserable time for her (and us) she still had spots coming out after two weeks, it took her weeks to get over it properly.

I wish someone had told me how bad it can be, it was always just made out to be a mild illness.

I'd talk it through with a doctor but the thing that would interest me is that if you don't get chicken pox you don't get shingles. I've had shingles 3 times and it was agony. The first time I was in bed for 2 weeks and felt awful, the first time I went out it rained and I cried as the raindrops were so painful. You might think this was a frail old lady suffering, I was actually 15 at the time. Had it twice since and dread getting it again.

A male friend, who had not had it as a child, caught it from a 4year old and was very ill indeed. In hospital in a lot of pain for some time.

I live in Madrid and here it´s on the routine vaccination calendar, so my daughter had it done.

My children were due to have the vaccine but caught chickenpox just before the appointment and just as we were about to travel to America to get married! So yes, I would pay.

I wasnt even aware I hadnt had a lot of my childhood immunizations until I brought this up. is this a worry for adults still? I never really thought about it tbh, I was so concentrated on my own child didnt think about possible implications for myself of my mums revelation. I'm more concerned for my sisters tbh - they are primary age.

yeah, I still remember my own experience of chicken pox as a child and I was lucky not to be scarred but I do remember the itchiness being horrendous and crying for it to stop.

I vaguely recall it is routine in some other health care systems. I am in the UK and think I would pay for this though if I had another, I might look at the evidence/risks around childhood disease for the unvaccinated and adult disease for the vaccinated (and for the unvaccinated if they do or don't catch it as a child) to check there wasn't a clear cut case to avoid the vaccine in this instance.

Haven't read the whole thread.

I did it for my son and will do it for my daughter.

No issues and no side effects. Really pleased we did it. There was an outbreak at my son's nursery before Xmas. 16 kids went down with it and had it over the Xmas break! Our son was one of 4 who didn't can't it.

My husband hasn't had it and because of some medication he's had it was be very dangerous if he caught it now.

No regrets about doing it

Do it! Here's what the USA CDC says about chickenpox:

In the prevaccine era, approximately 11,000 persons with varicella required hospitalization each year. Hospitalization rates were approximately 2 to 3 per 1,000 cases among healthy children and 8 per 1,000 cases among adults. Death occurred in approximately 1 in 60,000 cases.
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/varicella.html

Here's an interesting view on why we don't do chickenpox vaccine in he UK:
www.theguardian.com/science/occams-corner/2014/may/15/real-reason-british-public-chickenpox-vaccine-shingles

Also - if you have one child and plan to have another it's a really good idea to get DC1 vaccinated as chickenpox is seriously dangerous to newborn babies. There was an outbreak in our DC1's nursery the week DC2 was born. Very glad we had had DC1 vaccinated.

Shingles are a direct consequence of having had chicken pox. Kids who don’t get chickenpox won’t get shingles.
Having the virus circulating helps to keep older people’s immune response active, so THEY are less likely to get shingles.
however
a) there is a shingles vaccine, and
b) I’m not risking my child’s health to protect someone else who can’t be arsed to get the vaccine

DD was vaccinated as her DS got it 3 times and was incredibly poorly. I wouldn't have wanted her to go through what DS did. Her consultant said it didn't wear off. Countries where its routine don't see the adult population get it.

Please let your little one have the vaccine. I caught it at 37 and it completely floored me, I was very ill. Getting it as an adult is serious.

We paid for our ds to have the chickenpox vaccine.
Firstly because I had chickenpox aged 9 and have terrible scars all over my face from picking at the scabs.

Secondly because DH has never had. Chickenpox and we were worried he'd get it badly if ds brought it home.

Thirdly because I had chickenpox twice and it was much worse the second time but my poor brother developed shingles and it was excruciating for him.

It's not the mild condition many people think and we thought it was worth sparing ds and DH from the misery it can cause.

@mrshonda

Please let your little one have the vaccine. I caught it at 37 and it completely floored me, I was very ill. Getting it as an adult is serious.

I completely agree but that’s a good argument for having it as a child. Particularly as the vaccination doesn’t give life time immunity.

@cherrybun01

I wasnt even aware I hadnt had a lot of my childhood immunizations until I brought this up. is this a worry for adults still? I never really thought about it tbh, I was so concentrated on my own child didnt think about possible implications for myself of my mums revelation. I'm more concerned for my sisters tbh - they are primary age.

yeah, I still remember my own experience of chicken pox as a child and I was lucky not to be scarred but I do remember the itchiness being horrendous and crying for it to stop.

Yes, MMR in particular IIRC - you really don't want one of these diseases as an adult. I would be putting in a call to your doctor asap. I remember posting an article I'd read about this to facebook a few years ago - I can't find it now but from memory there were real concerns that there are sufficient young adults out there who have not been vaccinated that it is a real concern. The article was quoting various specialists as calling for these young people, who are now old enough to make their own medical decisions, to sort this out for themselves via their GPs.

I paid for both my boys to have the chickenpox vaccine privately. I think they were about 2.

I've never had Chicken pox, but DS1 had it as a baby. I was still breast feeding and the Dr was v interested as he said it was an extremely mild case. DS2 had it as a 5 year old, didn't take him to Dr obviously, as I actually knew what it was that time. Again it was a very mild case.

My nephew was vaccinated as it's part of the schedule in the USA. The vaccination is used throughout the world, just because the NHS don't include it is not a reflection on its safety. If you can afford it, why wouldn't you?

You know even catching chickenpox doesn’t guarantee lifelong immunity. I know a lad who has had it 3 times and he is only 9. It’s not that uncommon.

Pay for the vaccine and get the booster. This is recommended anyway. In fact if you’re wary about immunity waning then get another booster later on.

Shingles is god damn horrific, especially if you get it in your eye. I’ve had it in my 20s, it’s not just old folks who get it.

Even if full immunity doesn’t happen, which is the case with any vaccine, chances are your kids would only get a mild case. We don’t vaccinate our children here because our healthcare system is not first class. It’s nothing to do with unproven vaccines.

I’m of the impression none of the vaccines confer lifelong immunity. Boosters are often recommended. Tetanus needs regular updating which most people know. Rubella vaccine doesn’t always “take” so needs to be checked at each pregnancy.

I got DD1 done at Boots and her younger sister is booked in for later this month. I'll get them boosted as teenagers then remind them if they're thinking of getting pregnant later in life to seek out the latest data on whether to get boosted before they come off contraception.