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.

4 weeks is a minimum, not a maximum.

You'll do what you want obviously, but bear in mind if your DD gets chickenpox in a few weeks then she will be ill for a few weeks so you still can't take her to your vulnerable relative. Meanwhile you could leave her with a childminder or babysitter while you go if she's vaccinated, but less likely to be able to if she has chickenpox.

@GRex I get what you're saying but the maximum is 8 weeks between doses. There are vulnerable children at nursery too so she cannot miss nursery either for 6-12 weeks.

Cancer research has useful info on this

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/treatment/cancer-drugs/immunisations-and-cancer-treatment

Essentially risk of contracting chickenpox from vaccinated person very low (unless they develop a rash), and much lower than from contact with a child with wild type chickenpox.

When I worked in paeds oncology we would vaccinate non-immune siblings to protect the child with cancer, and this page seems to suggest that is also recommended for non-immune children having contact with adults undergoing treatment.

i would vaccinate.

I've never understood why someone who could afford it wouldn't get them vaccinated. They could die from CP and I'm imagine having giving CP to them on purpose like some people do.

I don't think I kept mine off nursery for 6 weeks after each dose but it was 5 yrs ago so maybe has changed or I've forgotten.

All of mine were vaccinated, it has never been recommended they miss nursery unless they developed a rash. Assume the same as above that risk from non-vaccinated children is far greater.

You are incorrect, there is not a maximum. 8 weeks is recommended for the best immunity, but you can give the second dose at a later date. Try asking at your immunisation clinic.

The children at nursery will be exposed to chickenpox and other illnesses, there is no "don't go to nursery after vaccine" rule unless yours is very unusual. Did all children get barred after the MMR vaccine?

8 weeks is not the maximum, my DD went several years between doses.

There is no requirement to keep dc off nursery 3 weeks after vaccinations, 24 hours is advised and as long as no fever they can return

My uni aged DD came into contact with a child with chicken pox at holiday camp last summer. She managed to get the vaccination within 3 days and she didn't catch chicken pox.

Disclaimer, DD has come into close contact with chicken pox as a child but has never caught it. Every year parents send children in with the start of chicken pox to holiday camp and it was starting to stress DD. We probably should have sorted something sooner.

Why?! If you can vaccinate then why wouldn’t you do that and your kids don’t need to catch it! Such a strange attitude

Because in the vast majority of cases, CP is a mild illness with no lasting effects. And catching CP provides lifelong immunity in the vast majority of cases. Even in the 'well x had it twice', it's widely believed that it's more likely that the first CP infection was misdiagnosed in many cases.

According to the NHS website, the vaccine is only 75% effective in adults. No thanks.

The vulnerable children at nursery are already being exposed to chicken pox and whatever else is out there (we’ve had scarlet fever still doing the rounds and a case of Hib because some parents aren’t even giving basic vaccines these days).

I had chicken pox very badly as a child and still have the scars over 40 years on, both of mine have been vaccinated

Given what we know about the length of vaccine immunity, that stat must mean the vaccine when given to adults rather than the vaccine in adults who previously had it as children. Parents making the choice will usually be doing so for minor children. And an adult who doesn't yet have any CP immunity is in a more complex position than a child who doesn't, since obviously the illness is usually worse in adults.

This is a bit like a logic puzzle. Think for a second, who is actually being vaccinated as an adult? It's recommended for those with high exposure contact (doctors, nurses), but also highly recommended if an adult is exposed who has not had chickenpox. The primary reason there is a higher failure rate is because the vaccine was given to reduce the effect on the adult, not because it somehow ran out in a weird way that no other vaccine does.

And open to getting shingles later in life.
Or possibly becoming extremely ill if they get it as a child.

If everyone got their kids vaccinated, this horrible illness would disappear.

It has the lasting effect of potential shingles cropping up when you're ill or stressed. Who wants to give that lifelong gift to their child? It is far far less likely to get shingles if your immunity is from the vaccine.

This is very misleading. The current CP
vaccine is more likely to give lifelong immunity than getting CP.
Also some children are very ill with CP, it’s really unpleasant and causes scarring. Also very dangerous for pregnant women

Obviously anyone who had a genuine worry about lifelong immunity would be suggesting vaccines with a few boosters e.g. age 18, age 65. But that presupposes that those who post scaremongering about immunity on vaccine threads don't have ulterior motives. The fact those boosters are not recommended gives a little clue as to actual immunity being retained.

If you are willing, able, and wanting to vaccinate, why did you wait until exposure? I don’t understand that at all.

@Feedingpillow because CP isn't something I think of and the vaccinations are quite expensive for some.

I had the vaccine along my newborn daughter as the student midwife who spent a 12 hour shift in my room had shingles and didn't realise however I will say that DD only had around 3 spots when she did get chickenpox, and I've never had it even though all 3 DC have had it over the years.