To worry my 8 year old hasn’t had chickenpox?

[Wannakisstheteacher]

Talking to a friend today reminded me DS3 hasn’t had chickenpox. His elder siblings had it before he was born. Is this something I should worry about, or maybe pay to have him vaccinated against now as he’s unlikely to catch it at this point? Having asked a few other friends DS is the only one not to have had it 😱

My dd didn’t catch it. Every year before a holiday I’d get the fear! In the end we paid for her to have the vaccine. I think she was about 13 by then!

I would definitely no later than age 10 get the chicken pox vaccine.
It’s an illness that gets worse the older you get.

Yeah I’d pay for the vaccine. In fact I did for my eldest once he got to year 1 and hadn’t had it.

I wouldn't worry at 8 but if he gets to his teens without having it I'd probably pay for the vaccine.

I didn't get it until I was 15, I was itchy but not particularly unwell

Definitely get him vaccinated. It's horrible if you get it when you're older.

I had chickenpox as a teenager. It was very unpleasant but ok. I didn’t actually realise having it at that age was considered out of the ordinary.

That is my worry, that it gets much more serious if you catch it as an adult. I can’t help but feel negligent for allowing him to get to 8 without catching it when his siblings both now have immunity (I do know this is ridiculous).

I’m worried dd hasn’t had it yet at 4 but I’m currently saving for the vaccine.

My manager had it in her 30’s having never had it before and was very poorly so I’d vaccinate rather than go into adulthood unprotected.

I've never had it (I'm 27 in a few months). My ds1 has had it and I was the one looking after him, I've also been working in nurseries for 10 years, so no I wouldn't worry about it.

I had my 7 year old vaccinated a couple of months ago, it was very easy to book at Superdrug.

I had it age 17 and I wouldn’t recommend it. I was in bed for 2 weeks and had horrible scars for a while. It also massively interfered with my periods - after I had it I had a period that basically lasted for 6 weeks, so yes, adult chicken pox is not fun.

My dd had it quite late (about 7/8) and we had already had the conversation that we would have got her the vaccine at the end of primary school had she not got it naturally.

For petes sake get the vaccine!

Stupid question, but does the vaccine give immunity for life or is it like the COVID ones which make it less severe?

Definitely get him vaccinated, save him ever having the misery of it.

Am I alone in thinking it’s less common now? I can’t remember hearing of any ‘outbreaks’ since DS was in reception and that didn’t spread from the parallel class. Since then nothing. So it just seems really unlikely he’ll catch it. I think I do need to get the vaccine. Looking on Boots now.

Just get the vaccine, not sure why you wouldn't?

@PlanDeRaccordement

I would definitely no later than age 10 get the chicken pox vaccine. It’s an illness that gets worse the older you get.

Our GP advised slightly older, can't remember now but their advice was secondary school I think.

I got them at 14.
Gave them to my sister who was 18 at the time. All good. No issues.

Not only is it awful to get as an adult, once you have had chicken pox at any age, the virus remains in your body and can come out as shingles.

Both DH and I have had shingles. Painful and unpleasant.

Get the chicken pox vaccine if you can.

Get him vaccinated.
I got it for the first time at 33. It was horrendous and I was really ill. The spots were everywhere including inside my nose and other more intimate areas. Awful.

I assumed I must be immune by then but turned out I wasn't!

I caught it at aged 18. I was a bit unwell and very spotty but my biggest problem by far was missing 2 of my friends 18th parties while I was still contagious. That was far far worse than how ill I was feeling.

I work in a school, chickenpox hasn’t disappeared, it’s just waiting to go mad again. Remember we’ve had lockdowns and social distancing blah blah that put chickenpox in the cupboard for a while, don’t worry it’s coming back!

Get the vaccine! My ds was vaccinated at age 2.

@MRex I’m wavering because I’ve always felt it would be better to get it ‘naturally’ as it stimulates the lifelong immune response. The vaccine isn’t 100% effective so I guess I’ve just been hoping he’d eventually have it like his siblings.