Chicken pox vaccine for 1 year old

[hmmjauso]

Would you? Have you? No idea what’s best!

I paid for my daughter to have it, just the first dose as I couldn't afford both (I think it was around 70 euros for one dose, which I could ill afford back then but worth it to avoid chickenpox) but it was then added to the routine vaccinations in my country so she got the second dose free once she was old enough (they get the second dose at 12 years old). My youngest has had his first dose and will get his second in 5th grade.

I did - DS is 16 months and had the vaccines a couple of months ago. I figured I'd probably lose more than the £150 the vaccines cost if I (&/or DH) had to take unpaid leave to care for him.
I also have two scars on my face from chickenpox as a child, so wanted to spare DS the risk of that as well as the general discomfort. They are relatively mild, most people don't seem to notice them but I am self-conscious about them.

Where I am it’s part of the routine vaccinations. I did both shots for my LO- at about a year old and at 4. I also got mine as an adult as they weren’t offered when I was a kid

My oldest had it mildly and didn't scar. My youngest was more poorly so suffered and was left with several scars on her face still there 2 years later. I ummed and erred about it but wish I'd had them vaccinated.

Dh is medical and we haven't bothered. Pointless in our opinion.

I had it x 2 on the NHS.

I still caught CP two years later.

In what way is it pointless? Your dh must have never seen severe cases or complications of chickenpox

No I didn’t and I wouldn’t.

I missed my opportunity to get DS vaccinated young. He had his this summer aged 5 having avoided several rounds through nursery and year R by sheer chance. DD will be booked in for hers next summer when she's 1 year, 4 months ish and plenty clear from all her other vaccinations

Absolutely- and it seems to hold.
unfortunately DC 2 caught it before they were 1

@Polarbearkeeper hi my dh is a paramedic and trust me you don't want to know what he's seen, it's heartbreaking. The odds of complications are remote so we thought it would be best ds just got chicken pox. He was slightly unwell for 3 days and now has immunity so no regrets.

Only pointless if you think there’s no point in saving your children from going through a miserable illness which can cause horrible (though thankfully rare) complications.

if your DH is a paramedic then he’s doing god’s work but he’s not an expert in vaccinations.

I would if I’d have known. Dd2 got it at 6 months and it was horrid.

Had it done the same day as the MMR.

No regrets - DD is now 14 and never had chicken pox.

None of my siblings bothered and all ended up with weeks off work when the kids got it one after another, and one of my niece's needed plastic surgery to deal with severe facial scarring.

It was worth every penny.

Will add, DF and DFIL are both doctors and both very strongly advised us to get DD vaccinated against chicken pox - both for her benefit and to reduce likelihood of DH getting shingles (immunocompromised).

Yes got DD vaccinated and she has made it through several outbreaks at nursery and school unscathed. No regrets.

What an ignorant thing to say. Your husband is a paramedic not a doctor, hardly an expert specialist in childhood infectious diseases and vaccination, especially if he incorrectly thinks it’s pointless.

I did. I was getting myself vaccinated because I’ve never had it and knew if I got it as an adult it could be quite nasty, and thought why not vaccinate her too. At best it’s unpleasant and since it’s a standard thing in most countries now, I’d rather do that than be waiting for her to get it.

Very glad I did since some parents on holiday decided it was a fabulous idea to let their kid who was absolutely covered in it (not scabbed over) run around the kids pool and kids disco.

On the odd occasion it can lead to other infections — friend’s child had a pustule on his eye that led to meningitis and he was in hospital for weeks.
My DD caught it before the vaccine became generally available and was very sick. After that I was eager for her to have all that was available. Sure I had to pay for some but it would have cost me more in lost work time if she’d been sick and saved her a lot of grief.

I know this may seem like an absurd concept, but some people do prioritise their finances differently to you.

Did DH have chickenpox as a child? Chickenpox in male adulthood can have severe complications

Yes paid for both and they haven’t caught it so far. I’ve always been confused about whether they need a booster later in life though?

I did for my younger children after my ds spent four days in hospital with chicken pox. Makes me angry it's not available routinely in the nhs.

I would, for starters I was hospitalised with it at 4yrs myself so it's not always mild and it's horrible because you're in an isolation ward on your own. I was in a decommissioned hospital, not fun at all. I didn't get to my kids in time, my eldest was fine my youngest had it so badly it was so miserable and just seemed inhumane that there's a decent vaccine. He needed antibiotics and his face was just pleading with me, so miserable poor boy. So yes, I wish we'd done the vaccines. The theory is it stops older people getting shingles but I don't see why kids should have to suffer for that reason.

I would, I'd actually booked my DDs for just after her first birthday. She caught CP just before her vaccine appointment, thankfully it was mild but I'll be having DD2 vaccinated against it if she doesn't catch it before her first birthday.

There can be serious but rare complications with CP and it's such a miserable illness if I can spare her that I will.