MMRV versus MMR

[Cathod]

My son is due his second MMR vaccine. He has already had 2 doses of chickenpox vaccine which we organised through boots. The GP surgery have said that since January they only offer MMRV, and no longer offer just MMR. AIBU to think there should be some way of giving just the MMR vaccine?

Can you buy the MMR? If so it’s what I’d do in your position.

Have the MMRV like everyone else.
Will get extra protection against chicken pox.

Just realised you've already had the varicella vaccine.

But that’s not the recommendation for the vaccine doses?

@Cathod can you get it privately somewhere ? I’d have thought there must be mmr vaccines left ?

My DS has just had MMRV a couple of weeks ago despite having had 2 private varicella vaccinations previously. He seems fine so far I’m just not going to take him for the V booster that they said they would be doing and strangely the nurse didn’t seem to understand my point that I didn’t want another shot of it for him after having had it privately too. I imagine declining it will be tricky and a ‘computer says no’ situation. I was ok with him having a third shot but don’t want him to have anymore. There’s going to be an overlap period where people have paid privately for the V vaccine and receive MMRV but I imagine that will stop happening now they’ve started rolling the combined one out and people will just wait for the MMRV. It’s not ideal but then not much about the NHS is.

It's fine - there aren't safety concerns with this. Info here

Vaccinations aren't generally like medications where there's a recommended "dose" - it's out of your system pretty quickly having triggered an immune response.

Having MMRV after Varivax is analogous to having either after being infected with chicken pox, knowingly or unknowingly.

Recommendations are fluid. The vaccine schedules are constantly changing.

If the surgery is happy to give it having been told the child has already been vaccinated against chickenpox, I'd go ahead without a second thought. There's no need to offer an additional vaccine when the MMRV is safe.

I've had a quick look online and Boots offer MMR BUT you need to be over 4 which my son isn't.

Thank you for sharing your experience with your son. They did ask on the phone how long ago he had the Varicella and seemed to think if it was over 6 months ago it should be OK.

Thanks for the link. I think part of my concern is that there is long term safety data for the MMR vaccine but less for MMRV rather than the just the fact he has already been inoculated with Varicella but I guess that would apply to all parents.

How long term are you wanting?

Good point, I don't know.

Initially the vaccine was rolled out as MMRV or nothing for children under six years of age, and indeed, you cannot over vaccine and it is perfectly safe to have ‘extra’ doses of vaccine. Very recent changes have meant that we are now able to offer MMR only ‘in exceptional circumstances’ and with the instruction of a prescriber under a specific directive. It is not to be considered the norm nor to be offered as a routine option (and it won’t be publicised to the public) but MMR only can now be given using the clinicians discretion instead of MMRV if the alternative is the parent refuses and the child goes unvaccinated.
Practice nurse.

It's a vaccine that was approved in various countries/regions as long as 20 years ago - so has a longer track record than some others in the schedule.

Thank you all for your replies. I feel much better about giving my son the MMRV now.

It’s fine to have “extra” doses of MMRV as previous vaccination for varicella means he will have antibodies, so the “extra” V component will be largely neutralised.

The childhood schedule now means if age 1-6 a child can only be offered MMRV. MMR could be offered under exceptional circumstances as mentioned previously, but this does not mean parents routinely get a choice.

Hi it is safe. As he has antibody to the varicella if will just be neutralized quickly and if he hasn't mounted an immune response then an extra dose might help. Mmrv has been in use for over twenty years. Well done on getting it privately in ths first place.

I had similar concerns as DD had the chicken pox 💉 via the NHS due to being in close contact with immunocompromised household member and we didn’t want to risk her bringing it home from nursery. I’m still on the fence about it and considering MMR privately.

Save your money @toddlertoenail there’s no reason NOT to have MMRV even with previous varicella vaccination.