Chickenpox vaccine

[mumsthewordi]

Nearly everyone in daughters class (she is four and just started reception), has had the chickenpox vaccine

I had not even considered it as an option , I don't know why they've all gone this route as now daughters got reduced exposure and she may get when older which I would be more nervous about,

Should just get her to have it too ?

I’m sure I read someone that they recommend you repeat the vaccine at some stage in life, but they don’t actually specify when. I’d be interested if anyone has it as part of their vaccination program and can answer what the policy is in their country.

The concern re shingles isn’t for the person vaccinated, but the loss immunity if the virus doesn’t spread in childhood through the community and then the risk of first getting it as an adult (who hasn’t received the vaccine).

US gives 2 doses of the MMRV (V being varicella aka chickenpox) the first at 12 months, the second at age 4. So very similar to when the UK gives the MMR. No recommendation for a top up dose as an adult. They do also recommend 2 doses of the shingles vaccine for over 50s and for anyone over 19 with a weakened immune system.

@InTheRainOnATrain this makes absolutely no sense. Even if your PCT (when they existed) had the power to ban private providers (they couldn't/can't) then you could just drive to the next 'county' and go to Boots and get it.

The shingles concerns have been debunked through research and decades of live experience in other countries

I didn't know about it and until my two got it. My 3 yr old was fine but my 10 yr old really suffered. He's 16 now and you can still see where some of it was on his chest and back. It's one that I'd definitely get done.

We lived in the US when dc were younger and it is standard to have the CP vaccine there. I'd take it over actual chicken pox.

Yes I agree it makes no sense! But if PCTs haven’t existed for 10+ years then it’s clearly not a recent experience. I could understand if Boots etc. didn’t offer it as widely 10-15 years ago so finding somewhere local might have been trickier. Or a pharmacist might not have been comfortable giving it to a child with health issues without the agreement of a doctor, who wouldn’t approve for whatever reason, possibly because there was less info on lasting immunity and shingles risk that long ago. But not an outright countywide ban of private providers at the instigation of the NHS trust - that makes no sense to me either!

DDs are 16 and 14, is it too late for them to have a vaccine?

No I don’t think so, if they haven’t had CP yet I definitely would get them vaccinated as it can be worse as an adult/older child.

If they haven’t had CP I would make it a priority as it hits adults harder.

JCVI only recommended it last year.

My daughter had the vaccine as when I was a child chicken pox brought on a convulsion (from high temp).

Although in-between her first vaccine she had a convulsion. Which is scary in itself. Plus we also paid for the men B vaccine that wasn't available at the time. Yet when son was born the men b was a nhs vaccine. He also had the chicken pox vaccine.
To add they could still get chicken pox with the vaccine but it would be very mild.

I genuinely thought that Chickenpox is typically a mild illness in healthy children,

Typically, yes, it's "mild", if you consider a week of discomfort and common scarring for life "mild". Every now and then it kills a child or hospitalises them at random. Not a chance I'd take.

and contracting it naturally often provides lifelong immunity

As does the vaccine, without having to go through the illness.

and also vaccinating against it could potentially delay the infection to adulthood?

Evidence shows that the chicken pox vaccine confers immunity for life, provided you have both doses in the recommended timescales.

when the disease is more severe and my dr friends have always told me natural chickenpox infection might reduce the long-term risk of shingles by boosting immunity.

Studies have shown there is no increased risk of shingles and in fact, limited evidence appears to show a decrease in the chances of shingles as the viral load of the vaccine is far less than the illness.

Any side effects of the vaccine ?

All vaccines and medications have possible side effects and I'd recommend you read the literature from your vaccine manufacturer. In my daughter's case, there were no side effects and she didn't even notice the needle go in as it was so quick and painless.

I think it's important to note that there is an economic factor to the uptake of chicken pox vaccine. While it may be mild, it still requires at least 5 days exclusion from a childcare/school setting. For most working parents the cost of taking time off work to manage that far far exceeds the £150ish for the vaccines. It's really a no brainer from both a health and economic perspective

None for our dc in any case. They had it before starting nursery in the local pharmacy. Was well worth it as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think many other children in her nursery class avoided it over the few years.

DDs are 16 and 14, is it too late for them to have a vaccine?

Even adults can have it (health care workers for example will have it if they haven't had CP).

I got it for my youngest DC. I was initially on the fence about whether to get the vaccine due to hearing about cases of it but like many people just thought it was a mild illness. My oldest got the CP before I decided and two weeks before we were due to go on holiday.
Whilst thankfully it wasn't too serious she was covered it spots and to describe it as a mild illness definitely feels like a way of downplaying it. I straightaway took my other DC for the jab. I was told he would probably still get the CP but in a milder form. We had a holiday booked but I still think I would have took him regardless.
Anyway on the final day of our holiday my youngest got 3 tiny spots on his back. Much smaller than normal CP and no other symptoms. Not sure if it was CP or a coincidence.

Anyway in hindsight I would have definitely got them both vaccinated. A friend of mine is a doctor and apparently it's standard for doctors to get their children vaccinated. Partly because they can't just miss a week off work I imagine.

I think by “mild illness” they mean rarely requires hospitalisation. Which is why I don’t think it’s on the UK’s vax programme - it’s not cost effective when the vast majority don’t have to access the NHS to treat it.

It's like everyone here has forgotten having chicken pox as a kid or were all your experiences that bad ?!

Suppose I'm not going to hear from the no vaccine brigade which js the vast majority

I would imagine most of us have yes, since it's usually contracted in early childhood. Most of us do remember seeing a child itchy, uncomfortable and in pain, missing at least a week of school or nursery and parents having to take the same off work to look after them. Why would you put them through that when it's so easy to protect them?

In countries where it's part of the regular vaccine schedule, take up is just as high as for any other vaccine so I don't think most people are against the vaccine. Parents either don't know about it, can't afford it or have misconceptions about it, as you did.

If you don't want to get your child vaccinated then no-one is forcing you, but it isn't up to other parents to put their child through an avoidable illness because you want yours to catch it!

Exactly. I doubt the nhs would even know who was offering it privately!

You are more likely to get responses from those who have had, or have considered having the vaccine as be more likely to be interested in the post. I found in day to day conversations quite a few of the parents didn't know about it or had misconceptions like the one you had around shingles.

It's great to have threads like this as people can share information & experiences & cause awareness so more parents can make their own decisions.

As another poster mentioned, economics is a factor too. I'll admit my decision was partly financial as well as due to wanting to avoid the discomfort of chickenpox and reduce the risk of shingles; taking unpaid leave for a week (or more) would cost me much more than the vaccine cost (but obviously DSs safety & wellbeing were top priority).

Another thing to consider is whether adults in the family have had chickenpox. DS picked it up at nursery, had a few spots and was fine. Unfortunately ex-DH hadn’t had it, caught it off DS and was really poorly. Ended up on antivirals and was in bed for about a week. We were married for 18 years and that’s the only time I remember him being bed bound through illness.

I don’t know what the uptake is nationally for it privately but it certainly doesn’t sound like the no vaccine brigade is the majority in your circles if most of DC’s class are vaccinated. Which echos my experience tbh. I have a 3YO and a 7YO and haven’t heard of a friend’s kid or one of the DC’s classmates having it yet. Twice we’ve been notified of a case in the school or nursery but it wasn’t in their class.

And I had a mild case of chickenpox when I was 6 and remember it quite clearly. Not sure what that has to do with anything as even with a very mild case it’s itchy and unpleasant and crucially for a lot of people it means a week off school for the child and therefore work for you, and if you have more than 1 child then repeat again 1-2 weeks later when it inevitably spreads to siblings. A lot of people are probably just thinking along the lines of I have 3 kids and no way can I miss a month of work whilst it spreads round the household rather than thinking worse case scenario that their DC might be a rare hospitalised case.

Also, on a thread about the chickenpox vaccine, same as any thread really, you’re inviting responses from people with awareness and knowledge of the subject, in this case the vaccine which are most likely going to be those that have opted for it.

I’ve had shingles 3 times and it’s absolutely awful - first time it took 6 months to get over it. With hindsight if I could have vaccinated my DC’s against chickenpox I would have done, their chickenpox wasn’t that bad but I hate to think they might have to suffer shingles when they’re older.

The CP vaccine is supposed to be added to the childhood vaccination programme next year, probably combined with the MMR. It would have been introduced by now if not for COVID. There will also be a catch up programme.
Practice nurse.