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 😱

Please may I have a reference for the assertion that the risk of shingles is increased? If correct, that is of course a consideration in when to vaccinate.

Is the reported shingles severe? I have seen horribly painful and long-lasting shingles in otherwise healthy adults. Preventing it seems very wise indeed.

www.scientificamerican.com/article/two-for-one-chickenpox-vaccine-lowers-shingles-risk-in-children/

'The authors found that one dose of vaccine reduced shingles infection by 78 percent—except in young toddlers. Shingles rates were significantly higher in vaccinated one-year-olds than unvaccinated ones, although this increased risk for vaccinated children vanished by age two. The authors suspect the higher risk in toddlers “could be related to the developing immune system in very young children,” says lead study author Sheila Weinmann, a senior investigator at the Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon.'

They go on to say that they still think it's 'probably' better to get them vaccinated at one because of the risk of catching the wild virus if you delay u til age two, but I'm not sure if I want to risk shingles so will probably wait until two. I don't know much about the severity.

Am I missing something here, surely if she hasn’t had chicken pox she won’t get shingles when she’s older. Shingles can be very painful and even cause eye problems. My mum suffered horribly with them and still has pain two years later. I’m in my 60s and never had chickenpox even though all my classmates did.

Please don't listen to anecdotal Mumsnet data. Do your research using scientific data.

My DD had chicken pox twice. My eldest DS had the vaccine and has not caught chicken pox during 3 outbreaks at nursery. My colleague's DD does from catching chicken pox (tragically they actually encouraged her to catch it by exposing her - I can't begin to imagine how they are doing). But of course that doesn't mean that death is common or reinfection post natural infection.

You can't make a decision on the basis of my evidence. There are huge studies from the US you can read. Based on my research getting the vaccine is better. It is safer, lasts for a good while and reduces the occurrence of shingles.

Does should have been died.

DD was vaccinated at 11 months. Check smaller local pharmacies, OP. Ours was cheaper than Boots.

[quote Willyoujustbequiet]@CharleyMarley and others saying the vaccine doesn't wane....

I had the vaccine ( 2 doses on the NHS) and caught Chicken Pox 18 months later.

Did nothing for me so if I had to pay privately not sure I would have bothered tbh.[/quote]
That is pretty unusual and you almost certainly got a much milder version than you would have otherwise.

Two vaccines reduces the risk of catching CP by more than 90%.

Get him vaccinated if you can. I caught it at 19 and I was horribly ill. I was struggling to breathe and ended up being rushed to A&E. I had a CT scan and it had spread to my lungs. Every breath felt like daggers. I spent a week in hospital.

Vaccine works best before they are 13

We waited til DS was 12 and then vaccinated him

I was a late catcher (21) and I shall just have to remember to get him a booster every 10 years! Even when he's an adult he will need reminding probably

Cost us £200

[quote Willyoujustbequiet]@CharleyMarley and others saying the vaccine doesn't wane....

I had the vaccine ( 2 doses on the NHS) and caught Chicken Pox 18 months later.

Did nothing for me so if I had to pay privately not sure I would have bothered tbh.[/quote]
The NHS doesn't offer the chickenpox vaccine for children and only offers or to those adults who are not immune and are in close contact with people who have weakened immune systems. Did the person you were caring for also catch chickenpox? Were they ok?

There will be some who have been vaccinated and catch chickenpox; someone has to be the 1% who it doesn't work for; similarly there are also people who catch chickenpox more than once, but that's rare too. There are also people whose immune systems don't work very well due to illness or medication; they are at particular risk of catching chickenpox even if they've had it before or been vaccinated.

[quote Willyoujustbequiet]@CharleyMarley and others saying the vaccine doesn't wane....

I had the vaccine ( 2 doses on the NHS) and caught Chicken Pox 18 months later.

Did nothing for me so if I had to pay privately not sure I would have bothered tbh.[/quote]
@Willyoujustbequiet

This is a very rare scenario. However you will have probably had a mild version. Two doses of the vaccine gives 100% protection against severe disease and >90% against contracting chicken pox. So breakthrough disease can occur - but rarely.

I also know someone who has caught chicken pox and she still isn't immune. She had it very badly as an adult and the got it again (but more mildly)

[quote Willyoujustbequiet]@CharleyMarley and others saying the vaccine doesn't wane....

I had the vaccine ( 2 doses on the NHS) and caught Chicken Pox 18 months later.

Did nothing for me so if I had to pay privately not sure I would have bothered tbh.[/quote]
Also @Willyoujustbequiet, we know for sure (based on real-world data) that the chickenpox vaccine gives AT LEAST 10-20 years protection for most people. So if you caught it as early as 18 months after the vaccine, it is most likely the protection you received didn't wane, but that was the full impact of your immunity, and what you suffered was breakthrough disease (ie the unlucky 1% who didn't get full immunity)

The vaccine increases the likelihood of shingles in toddlers, unfortunately, otherwise it'd be an open and shut case for me. I've got a one year old DS and hoping he makes it past toddlerhood without catching it so I can have him vaccinated against it. DD unfortunately had it at 11 months old.

In the study that found the association, it was only in one year olds, wasn’t it? The increase disappeared by age 2.

(Apols, saw you subsequently posted the same study, I missed it on my first read of the thread.)

Please please get him vaccinated, on average 25 people a year die of chicken pox , 20 % of which are under 16. Plus as a previous poster said the later you get it the more likely you are to get shingles complications later in life.

I find the whole concept of just let them get it and acquire natural resistance to be barbaric., no other civilised country does this. Why would you knowingly allow a child to become infected with a virus that can cause scaring, shingles and even death when there is a vaccine available.

I would get him the vaccine, my DH hadn’t had chicken pox until our DC caught them and he was almost hospitalised with pneumonia, it is the worst I’ve ever seen him, it was all 100x worse than the DC symptoms.

I wouldn’t worry at age 8. An 8yo I know just got it and wasn’t unduly bothered. I’d probably try and get them vaccinated as a teen if still not had it

Fwiw my mother is adamant that I had never had it. When I was pregnant with DS2 I went and asked gp about vaccine because DS1 had narrowly avoided catching it at nursery and obviously having pox when pg is not good. She said that it was unusual to get to adulthood without having had it and ordered an antibody test, after that she was going to recommend a vaccine. Antibody test was positive, I had had it! Just apparently didn’t get any spots!

@1dayatatime

Please please get him vaccinated, on average 25 people a year die of chicken pox , 20 % of which are under 16. Plus as a previous poster said the later you get it the more likely you are to get shingles complications later in life.

I find the whole concept of just let them get it and acquire natural resistance to be barbaric., no other civilised country does this. Why would you knowingly allow a child to become infected with a virus that can cause scaring, shingles and even death when there is a vaccine available.

You do realise this is our governments current attitude towards teens and covid, right?

Tbf you might not be British

My 7yo DD has had chicken pox 3 times and may get it again if there's an outbreak. First time she was fine but 2nd and 3rd time she was quite will with it.

I'm saving for the vaccine for her but whether it'll work is debatable.

My 8 year old still hasn't had it despite coming into close contact with it countless times. I'm wondering whether she actually has had it and I hadn't noticed- I've read stories of kids not having many spots at all?

I wouldn’t worry at age 8. An 8yo I know just got it and wasn’t unduly bothered. I’d probably try and get them vaccinated as a teen if still not had it

The vaccine is much less effective if given as a teen or as an adult. Far better to be vaccinated younger.

You do realise this is our governments current attitude towards teens and covid, right?

Well at least they now have the option of a vaccine on the NHS, though ridiculously late and they’re now botching the roll out.

I was totally unsurprised by the total pig’s ear the JCVI made of the vaccine advice for 12-15s after all the nonsense over the varicella vaccine over the years. We are so out of step with other countries on protecting kids and teens.

The (debunked) ‘kids have to get chicken pox so fewer adults will get shingles’ which still lingers on parts of the NHS website is particularly disgusting.

I had the vaccine when I was under 10 years old, was living in an eu country that vaccinated routinely against it

I caught chickenpox aged 30, when my kid brought it home from nursery. Was absolutely horrendous, my face looked deformed from all the spots!

So definitely vaccination does not give u a guarantee that u won't catch, it does not even give u a guarantee that it won't be bad.

As he gets older might be worth getting the vaccine. My friends daughter didn’t get it till she was 12….they where on holiday abroad!! Timing couldn’t be worse!! Stuck in a hotel room for days!!!

I'd vaccinate if he doesn't catch it soon. I gave them to my dad when I was a kid and he was very ill from it. My dose was incredibly mild so I'm expecting to catch it from my DD if she comes down with it.
My DD is under 2 and doesn't go to nursery so hasn't had chance yet to come into contact with it. I think we'll have her vaccinated against it once she's mixing with other kids.