Chickenpox vaccination?

[MustBeThursday]

Has anyone had their child vaccinated against chickenpox? Oldest DD has just started nursery class at school and I'm dreading her catching it.

I know it's usually a mild illness but it was quite bad when my brother and I had it as kids and DH has had it several times, apparently.

Is it worth doing? How do you go about it - is it through the GP usually for children?

I had my DD vaccinated when she turned 7 and still hadn't caught chicken pox, although there had been many bouts of it at her school and nursery. We had it done privately and it was two injections a few weeks apart. It is huge relief to know she won't get it now ( fingers crossed). I may be mistaken but I think someone told me that you can't get it on the NHS until your child is a bit older- 11/12- you can ask to have it at that stage because chicken pox is worse the older you are when you get it.

Yes I vaccinated DS when he was one. He had the first dose along with his MMR and the second a month later. GP did it (we obviously had to pay) but I'm pretty sure Superdrug are now offering it. No side effects. His whole nursery room had chicken pox recently and he was fine.

I'm in Spain where it is normal but we didn't do it. DD got a very bad case of CP at 6 and I regretted not doing it. But, the doc said at least she won't need the booster at 12, plus she won't be at risk of shingles as an adult. Vaccination does not prevent this. Vaccination is not as 'strong' as having caught it.

I say this 3 years after the fact now the scars are barely visable on her face, not at the time though!

Dant
If you have the chicken pox vaccine, you are less likely to have shingles than aquiring chicken pox naturally.

Thanks for the replies. I think we will look into it at our GP and the pharmacists (although I don't think we have a superdrug, we do have boots nearby) to see what the cost is then

bruffin not at all what I was told by medics but maybe vaccines are different in Spain. I was told the exact opposite.

Think you may have misunderstood because the only way you can get shingles is having chicken pox, so dont understand how you weretold she wont get shingles .
Everything i have read says that shingles in vaccinated is less likely

"Only someone who has had chickenpox – or, rarely, has gotten chickenpox vaccine – can get shingles. The virus stays in your body, and can cause shingles many years later."
From the cdc

Yes, my DD has HAD CP. For example my DH no, therefore I had to keep DD well away from him, but me not as I have also had it. Doc said at 12/13 everyone needs a booster and so by 40 plus you are compromised again.

Doc said I was fine to look after DD as had had CP, but DH at risk of shingles.

Better to actually have had CP even though 99% of children have the vaccine here.

I didn't misunderstand, but as I say, maybe the vaccines are different here. Actually wasn't doc was the child specialist at hospital! (was that bad I took her to A&E

I do think you have it the wrong way round bruffin but lets not derail the thread.

Yes my GP also told me that once you have had chicken pox, the virus 'sleeps' in your system and can become reactivated as shingles years later if you become very run down or your immune system is low. (I asked in relation to my elderly parents.)

God, yes, just read all about this on the internet I really was told the opposite (I asked specifically as DH had just recovered from cancer)

Mumsnet are right again, seems Spanish doctors not so much

Apologies bruffin

OP have the vaccinatioin in this case, no brainer.