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Children's health

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Original poster

Chicken pox vaccine

52 replies

86emz · 12/04/2022 16:07

Has anyone had it done for their children? If so any side effects?

I have a 3 yo who goes to nursery and they have just sent an email out saying there's chicken pox going around .. I have a 10 day old baby and I would hate for him to catch it.

My friend mentioned that there is a vaccine these days .. but didn't know anything more about it apart from not being offered through the nhs and would have to book one.

Would you recommend?
Tia xx

OP posts:

Beees · 12/04/2022 16:14

Honestly if there is chickenpox in his room at nursery then sorry to say but the odds are he is already incubating the virus and you've missed your chance.

I believe it's given over 2 doses with approximately 4 weeks between each dose. A colleague got it for her son a while back, it cost approx 140 pound and they booked an appointment at superdrug if I recall.

Original poster

86emz · 12/04/2022 19:39

@Beees

Honestly if there is chickenpox in his room at nursery then sorry to say but the odds are he is already incubating the virus and you've missed your chance.

Thank you 😊 I think the email just suggests that it's chicken pox "season" and what to look out for and when not to send them in... don't think there's any cases in his class So hopefully he's not got it 😅

OP posts:

NeurologicallySpeaking · 12/04/2022 19:42

Both of mine are vaccinated against CP- seems madness that we still have it in the U.K. when many other Western countries no longer have it as part of the childhood vaccination programme. I think we had to wait until baby was 1 though for our first jab. Cost was just under £100 per jab.

Twizbe · 12/04/2022 19:56

Both mine are vaccinated - best thing we ever did.

DS was vaccinated with first dose. A few months later there was an outbreak in his nursery. It went from 1 case to 16 in 24 hours! He didn't catch it. All those 16 were ill over Christmas. He had his second dose.

DD has had 1 dose over a year ago now. The other week she was in direct contact with a child that developed spots the next day. She hasn't caught it.

Original poster

86emz · 12/04/2022 20:02

@Twizbe

Both mine are vaccinated - best thing we ever did.

DD has had 1 dose over a year ago now. The other week she was in direct contact with a child that developed spots the next day. She hasn't caught it.

Oh that's great!!

Did they have any side effects such as fever after it? Or were they ok the day after

OP posts:

WreckTangled · 12/04/2022 20:06

There's loads of threads if you search OP, april is usually CP season I think.

Both mine are vaccinated, had it done about...7 years ago now. I paid privately at our GP surgery. No side effects for either of them.

UnbeatenMum · 12/04/2022 20:07

I paid for it at Boots recently for my youngest. It was £140 and given in two doses 4-6 weeks apart. Babies have to be over 12 months though, your 10 week old wouldn't be able to have it.

SW1amp · 12/04/2022 20:09

Mine had it and it was the easiest of all the jabs

Not painful to have (no tears!) and no side effects

I did it at Superdrug for £60 a dose (they need 2 doses) and got loyalty points!

Twizbe · 12/04/2022 20:10

No side effects that I remember. Tbh though a bit of fever is nothing compared to the actual CP

toastofthetown · 12/04/2022 20:15

I don’t have any children but I had the vaccine for myself last year. Booked it through Boots and I had no side effects at all. I did find the vaccine more painful than usual at the time, but the pain subsided quickly. I’d definitely choose to get my children vaccinated in the future.

confusedlots · 12/04/2022 20:24

My 4 year old son took a serious infection 2 years ago and spent a long time in hospital and it was touch and go if he'd pull through. It was a completely random thing that happened to him. He has the most amazing consultant microbiologist who follows him up every few months and I just happened to ask her about the chicken pox vaccine when we last saw her. She said she still can't believe it's not one of the routine NHS children's vaccines, but they have developed an MMR/chicken pox vaccine and she thinks that will be introduced on the NHS in the next few years.

Anyway, she said she'd give my son the chicken pox vaccine on the nhs if I wanted, because of his history, and I said yes. He had a bit of soreness around the injection site but that was it. His older sister hasn't had chicken pox or the vaccine and I think I'll pay for her to have it.

TulipsGarden · 12/04/2022 20:39

Yup, we had it done two years ago before he went back to nursery after lockdown. He's since been through two outbreaks at nursery and been in direct contact with a friend's child who developed spots soon after, all good. No reaction to the vaccine at all.

It is expensive - we paid £90 x2 - but so worth it if you can afford it. I hope it's available on the NHS soon.

MadameDragon · 12/04/2022 20:41

Both mine have had it, no side effects.
It can be given up to 5 days after exposure.

SW1amp · 12/04/2022 20:43

@confusedlots

It was a doctor friend of mine who encouraged me to get my DCs jabbed
Every single doctor I know has made sure their kids have it…

Troublesometooth · 12/04/2022 20:43

My then 2 and 4 year olds had it a few months ago. No side effects at all. It was £140 in Boots for the 2 doses so was expensive paying for both of them, but I am very glad we did it.

Utini · 12/04/2022 20:47

Similar experience to others - easiest jab DD had. Briefly looked like she was going to cry but didn't, and no side effects at all that I noticed.

Sapphirejane · 12/04/2022 20:49

Mine has had their first dose, due the second in a few weeks. Easiest vaccine so far, no temp or anything.

bringonsummer2022 · 12/04/2022 20:54

Mine are both vaccinated. I don't see the point in them being ill when it's so easy to prevent it. They didn't have any side effects and when chicken pox went round preschool it was great not to be worried.

Sprogonthetyne · 12/04/2022 21:02

My oldest had it at 2, and way absolutely fine. No side effects whatsoever. I had been intending to get my youngest done, but she caught chickenpox at nursery before I got round to it

She was pretty ill for a few days, and off nursery for 2 weeks. That was about a month ago and although she's fine now you can still see where the spots where, including one on her face which I'm really hoping doesn't become a permanent scar.

Vaccinated oldest was around her everyday and didn't develop any symptoms, so the vaccine must have been effective. Just wish I been more organised and got DD jabbed earlier.

Thursday37 · 12/04/2022 21:06

We had it done just after 12 month jabs, no side effects. Loads of it at nursery and she’s not succumbed yet (it’s effective but not 100%}. DD now 2.5
Boots is good if you collect points

usernotfound0000 · 12/04/2022 21:08

Going round here too. DD1 had chicken pox when she was 3 and DD2 was 8 weeks old. DD2 avoided it as she likely had my mummify. However, I have DD2 booked for her first dose on Saturday. I booked it online with boots and is £65.

usernotfound0000 · 12/04/2022 21:08

Gah immunity not mummify!

grosgirl · 12/04/2022 21:11

Can I jump on and ask whether it's safe for DS to be vaccinated when he has been exposed to CP?

This was 6 days ago and two days later, the child came up in spots.

I'd like to book it now but unsure of whether that's okay, considering he could be incubating the infection at the moment.

sirensscreech · 12/04/2022 21:15

I wasn't aware there was a vaccine for CP. My child caught it at 6, only just avoided being hospitalised, was off school for a month and was left with significant scarring. Yes they fade, but years later they are still visible.

If you can, vaccinate!

Hugasauras · 12/04/2022 21:16

We got DD done when she was 1. It's a no-brainer if you can afford it IMO.

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