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Children's health

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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:
csectionmumma · 12/04/2022 21:24

sorry for hijacking the post: very glad I came across this as I am going to make enquiries for my son tomorrow!

His nursery and a couple of GPs think my 12 month old has had a very mild case (3 spots on one shoulder, 1 on the other) but of course can't be sure. The spots didn't spread and didn't bother him.

I don't want to assume he's had it because of their instinct (mine says he hasn't had it). Does anyone know If he has the vaccine , and it turns out what he had WAS chickenpox, will there be a problem?ie terrible side effects?

Newmummy9 · 12/04/2022 21:27

@sirensscreech

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!

I imagine it would be fine but if you want to be sure you can request a blood test that will tell you if he’s had CP
Oldandcobwebby · 12/04/2022 21:33

If you are lucky enough to be able to afford it, it's a no-brainer. Chicken pox can be serious and is deeply unpleasant at best. I had my daughter vaccinated at a private hospital when she was just under two. No tears and no problems. When we were there, I had a shingles vaccination, too.

Organictangerine · 12/04/2022 21:36

Just booked my daughter an appointment to have the first dose, thanks for the reminder!

LittleMsPerfect · 12/04/2022 21:37

Does anyone know if you are more at risk of chicken pox as an adult if you have the vaccine as a child?

rewardacrosstrack · 12/04/2022 22:14

We got DC vaccinated with the first dose a couple of days after getting a message from nursery about a case in their class. Unfortunately it didn't stop them catching it but my DC had a grand total of 7 spots, only 2 of which blistered (the rest were just red for a day and then faded) and no other symptoms. Apparently the other kids in class had hundreds of spots and did feel miserable so definitely feel it helped

86emz · 12/04/2022 22:22

Thanks everyone. Booked it now 😃 the only available appointments around us are 2 weeks away so fingers crossed we manage to avoid it for 2 weeks. Thank you for your advice xx

OP posts:
IntendingWell · 12/04/2022 22:27

Good luck OP. Both mine are vaccinated, painless and no side effects.

csectionmumma · 12/04/2022 22:36

@rewardacrosstrack

We got DC vaccinated with the first dose a couple of days after getting a message from nursery about a case in their class. Unfortunately it didn't stop them catching it but my DC had a grand total of 7 spots, only 2 of which blistered (the rest were just red for a day and then faded) and no other symptoms. Apparently the other kids in class had hundreds of spots and did feel miserable so definitely feel it helped
Very interesting! My son got these on his shoulders. They caused him no discomfort, slightly blistered and didn't spread. As it was so mild GPs and nurseries aren't 100% sure. I want to get him vaccinated as don't want to get through his childhood worried if he hasn't had it or not! Any idea if vaccinating them even if they have had it is bad? So hard to tell, but would have been impossible for him to escape at nursery, so maybe those few spots were it!
ErrolTheDragon · 12/04/2022 22:53

We weren't aware of the availability of a CP vaccine till DD was in her early teens, so as she'd never had the disease we got her jabbed then.

Suzie81 · 13/04/2022 06:10

Yup, had the vaccine for both mine.

Pretty much all other Western countries (and non Western countries) do it as standard.

The NHS are just too cheap to pay for it.

toastofthetown · 13/04/2022 06:46

@csectionmumma it might be different for children vs adults, but I got the vaccine as an adult after a similar experience to your child. There are services which offer to test immunity, which may give you peace of mind but I just opted to have the vaccine anyway rather than add a blood test into the experience. I was asked about if I’d had chickenpox in my pre-vaccine interview so it could well be worth calling into the store where you’d have it done and asking the pharmacist their view.

Fucket · 13/04/2022 07:07

My 3 all had the jabs. Some people will criticise you for it, like it’s some kind of right of passage for children to spend two weeks off with chickenpox. They will argue that natural immunity is better, except it isn’t as I know children who’ve had recurring bouts of chickenpox. If they do catch chickenpox after a jab it’s often very mild and therefore a lot less chance of nasty complications.

Every year there would be mums whittling at the school gate, “oh my god such and such in class x has got the chickenpox, what are we going to do?!?!”

“ you could get them vaccinated at the x pharmacy in town, it costs £x and you can get them done now and it would still offer protection if exposed.”

Them, “oh no… I never had a vaccine, chickenpox never did me any harm we used to have parties and everything.”

Leaving aside the fact I’ve spared my kids the misery of chickenpox I couldn’t afford to take six weeks off work to look after 3 children with chickenpox I could afford the vaccines instead.

I used to think this attitude very odd but since then we’ve had covid and now I know so many who have openly refused covid jabs, and cases of mumps on the rise locally, it’s seems that there is a high proportion of parents refusing even the MMR jab.

But anyway yes it does work, it’s not a new thing, and you need two vaccines as one is not enough.

Good to hear they’re considering putting it on the nhs.

MarshaBradyo · 13/04/2022 07:09

We did it for Ds as he reached 12 without obvious cp

Very easy and no side effects

cptartapp · 13/04/2022 07:20

@Suzie81

Yup, had the vaccine for both mine.

Pretty much all other Western countries (and non Western countries) do it as standard.

The NHS are just too cheap to pay for it.

It's very imminent. COVID has put everything on the back burner. It's a live vaccine so not as easy as others just to throw into the schedule.
ErrolTheDragon · 13/04/2022 08:18

Some people will criticise you for it, like it’s some kind of right of passage for children to spend two weeks off with chickenpox.

My DD was somewhat needle-phobic by her teens but was firmly on the page of getting the jabs rather than risking unnecessary illness during her GCSEs or A levels.

TulipsGarden · 13/04/2022 10:16

@LittleMsPerfect

Does anyone know if you are more at risk of chicken pox as an adult if you have the vaccine as a child?
You might need a booster in your late teens/early 20s. The vaccine has 'only' been around for 20 years so they don't yet know the extent of the immunity. It's most likely absolutely fine and life-long, but it's not known for sure yet.

By the time a child having it now is old enough to potentially need a booster, a lot more will be known about the immunity and GPs will be able to tell you what to do.

Sapphirejane · 13/04/2022 13:00

Yes we were told DC may need a booster as an adult but I am happy to pay for that if they need it given I made the choice for them.

Indoctro · 13/04/2022 13:02

Both my kids were done a few years ago, no side affects.

SW1amp · 13/04/2022 19:58

Yes it’s fine to get the jab if they may have had it naturally…

There is no way I would chose a blood test for a child to check for immunity over a very easy injection…

ProseccoLimoncello · 13/04/2022 20:05

My eldest had the CP jab, 2 doses. He did get CP about 2 years later, but it was so mild you wouldn’t have known but for a few spots on his back. He wasn’t unwell with the CP & my younger DC who hadn’t been jabbed at the time didn’t catch it. I would definitely recommend as it made the CP essentially painless

Sawadeekaka · 14/04/2022 14:51

All 3 of mine and best thing ever seeing how their poor friends suffered with cp, even the mild cases.

usernotfound0000 · 18/04/2022 12:56

Just to come back to this. We took DD for her first dose on Saturday. No tears with the injection, she was more upset when we took the plaster off. So far haven't had any side effects, we were warned of a rash and that they can potentially transmit the virus as it is live, so avoid vulnerable people.

PlantingTrees · 18/04/2022 12:59

Mine both had it too. It was £75/dose and they need 2 doses 4 weeks apart.

LolaStrange · 18/04/2022 13:01

DS got his second dose before 2yrs. Didn't even cry (stealth boast) and luckily no side effects. Got it at boots. 100% recommend.