Chickenpox Vaccine - Yes or no?

[ItsBouqeeeet]

DD (aged 4) in close contact with shingles on Thursday.

Ivs managed to get her an appointment to get the chickenpox vaccine tomorrow. Will this be effective? Quite conflicting advice on the Internet so hoping for some experiences.

How close was the shingles contact?
It passes on chickenpox from contact with fluid from the blisters and is not airborne like CP itself

I was told that getting the vaccine close to potential contact can reduce the severity of the CP when/if it does come out in your DC. I'd keep the appointment - even if DC didn't get CP from this person, they'll be protected from future opportunities to catch it

I've read that the immunity from the vaccine is high in children then drops quite a bit over years. So they're well protected as a child and then 'wide open', so to speak, as an adult.

I wouldn't give it at all, I'd prefer mine just get cp (which they all have).

Of course 🤨

This isn't true.

When did the advice change on this? I vaccinated my child and remember reading at the time that they would need to be vaccinated again in 10-20 years. NHS now says protection is lifelong. 🤷‍♀️

My DH got shingles in November a week before we were due to go abroad. I had both my children vaccinated 3 days later as I didn’t want to risk our holiday or them getting it, thankfully neither of them did. The nurse that did it was confident we were within the timescale to do the vaccine and it be effective

DD got the CP vaccine 💉 and seems to have dodged it so far at nursery 🤞🏻

I don't there has ever been evidence of the immunisation lasting only 10-20 years, or any reason to believe this would be so. It's only ever been speculation based upon longer term data not yet being available, because the immunisation was only introduced in the 90s I believe. You might get a study published titled something like "immunity still present 20 years after immunisation" which is misinterpreted as "immunity lasts only 20 years" when actually, "immunity still as strong after 20 years and no reason to believe it will become less strong" would be a more reasonable takeaway message. Negative (often false) messages about immunisation seem to gain a lot of traction, sometimes even among health professionals.

DS came into contact with CP about 2 weeks before our wedding and honeymoon! DH has never had it either. Had them both vaccinated and they both avoided it thank goodness. I was told that the sooner you vaccinate them after exposure the more effective it is.

I believe the NHS is introducing it into their childhood vaccination schedule. There is plenty of evidence that it is effective long term from countries that have been habitually vaccinating against CP for many years (USA)

Definitely get the vaccine, it'll at least reduce the severity.

This is not true.

Edited to add - I work in vaccinations. It’s been recommended by JCVI but there are currently no plans to do it. But government is a mess. So you never know.

Yes, people see that and then get confused.

I had my DC vaccinated five years ago and was told they can't guarantee lifelong immunity because it hasn't been around long enough, but children who were vaccinated early on are still showing strong immunity now so no reason to think that will fade.

They did suggest you could get a booster before they go to uni if you want to be absolutely sure.

Many large countries (US, Germany, I think Australia) vaccinate against CP so there would be plenty of evidence if the vaccine wasn't effective long-term. My US colleagues were horrified children in this country still get CP, they see it as an old fashioned, preventable disease.

Thanks for all of your replies 😊 I've looked at booking but it says they should avoid contact with pregnant women, people with low immunity etc for 6 weeks after each dose? A family member currently has cancer so wondering if that's true, we should stick and wait to see if they get CP rather than vaccinate?

I would definitely get her vaccinated.
If I could go neck in time to change anything it would be to vaccinate my youngest.
She had it so bad she looked like she had small pox. She was so poorly. She has deep scars

find a way to give them CP - lifelong immunity, low severity in young children.

Also gives them the opportunity for shingles which is extremely unpleasant and sometimes can cause long term of permanent nerve pain.

No guarantee of low severity! How on earth do you guarantee that!? Get the vaccine, and avoid your vulnerable relative.

@AffableApple That'd be 12 weeks though (6 weeks after each dose) which isn't doable, unfortunately.

@AffableApple plus, she goes to nursery 3 times a week with vulnerable children. I definitely can't keep her off for 12 weeks either.

She can't see the relative for 3 weeks right now as she's been exposed to chickenpox. Get the first dose asap, as that is the most useful. You can wait a few months for the second dose.

3 weeks is doable. 6 weeks is not, especially when the 2nd dose has to be given 4-8 weeks after the 1st.

Really don't do this. Children can be really ill and hospitalised with CP - you don't know how it will affect them. Or they may miss it altogether until adulthood and get it, as I did, and be extremely ill.

OP get the vaccine for your DC as soon as practical.