Chicken pox vaccine

[Mufflette]

I want to get DS (aged 2) vaccinated against chicken pox. Does anyone know how soon the recommendation for it to be part of the NHS schedule will come into practice (I'd assume he would get some form of catch up at this point as he's over the recommended age), or have any experience of getting the vaccine privately?

Sorry, based in Ireland so can’t help on the NHS side but would like to chime in and say, be prepared to treat the time around the vaccine as if DS has chicken pox. I had both of mine done a month ago (1.5 and 4) and our 4 year old contracted chicken pox from the first dose. There’s a 5% chance, it’s not likely but it’s certainly not zero.

We got it privately as soon as we were able so I think at a year old. No issues and no chickenpox.

We got Dd the vaccine when she was 4 (she was prone to febrile convulsions) no side effects at all and exposed to chicken pox 6 months later and never caught it really glad she had it

It's going to be at the 12 month jabs isn't it? Along with mmr. My twins are 3 and I paid for them to have it at boots when they were 1

I wouldn't expect there to be a catch up, there wasn't with men b when they added that in. They'll just add it to the schedule

Yeah I doubt they'll catch it up, they'll just start it from that point onwards. I've had both my children vaccinated privately with no side effects.

I'm not sure about NHS schedules but I had my 4yo vaccinated at Boots when he was 2. It was two injections a few months apart and something like £100.

Had both of ours done, no issues, no chicken pox. A few mild spots after 10 days which didn't scab and as we'd pre-warned nursery didn't prevent attendance.

I doubt there would be a catch up programme.

I had both my children vaccinated recently no side effects

Was £300 total

My first had it in the US where it’s on the standard schedule and it was given combined with the MMR so instead of that she got the MMRV (V being varicella aka chickenpox). So likely when it comes in in the UK it’ll be the same and unless they do a catch up, which they probably won’t, a 2YO would have missed the boat. Also, I wouldn’t delay especially if DS is at nursery. My youngest who was born here had it done at Boots and you can book online. 2 shots 4 weeks apart. I believe Superdrug and a lot of pharmacies also do it too.

I've had both children done at Boots. One aged 2.5 (post COVID lockdowns etc) and the other pretty much as soon as he was 1.
I wouldn't wait around for NHS, think it will be a while.

Thanks everyone, I will look at getting him booked in at Boots!

FYI I found that Superdrug also do it, as well as Lloyds and some smaller pharmacies so it's worth looking around and weighing up price and distance. Even my fairly big local Boots and Superdrug branches didn't do it so I had to travel a bit to get to one that offered it.

Yes, a good point by @endofanera23 , we would have had to travel quite some way for a big Boots which would do it, but our local independent pharmacy offers them for the same price.