Anyone chosen to pay for MMR vaccine instead of having the new MMRv?

[lovesT]

no anti vaccines talk please! I'm doing my research.

Took my son for his 3 year 4 month jabs yesterday. For some reason hadn't fully clicked that they had added the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine to the MMR.

My daughter had the MMR but not varicella as it wasn't rolled out when she was a toddler.

I felt a bit flustered and nurse said I could go away and think about it if I felt I needed to. He had the 4 in 1 but not the MMRv.

If I could choose just the MMR I'd be happy. I know there are possible side effects of both but was planning not to have the chicken pox vaccine when it wasn't on NHS. Has anyone decided to pay for it privately and just get the MMR?

Am I over reacting? I just wasn't prepared for something different to what my daughter had and I feel like they emphasised the encephalitis rare side effect but I'm not actually sure the risk is any higher than MMR.

Ant thoughts? Anyone done similar?

*I'm not saying he won't have MMR (I would plan to go back to GP and get what they offer after research or pay privately if possible for just MMR.)

Thanks!

The chicken pox vaccine isn't some new vaccine with limited data. It's been around for decades with little or no controversy. You might be overthinking it.

Getting the chickenpox vaccine (varicella) is many times safer than getting chickenpox.

I have just paid for a second dose of varicella vaccine for my toddler after a nursery outbreak of chickenpox .

Even though I have had chickenpox myself (and I remember it feeling awful, I've of my earliest memories) I have also had the varicella vaccine myself (needed guaranteed immunity when I worked in an NHS lab handling chickenpox samples). I want my toddler to have the same protection I have.

If you look back through this forum, lots of people are asking "will my child's chickenpox scars ever fade?" You can avoid that being your child with MMRV...

Following, I want my son to have both the second dose of MMR (he already had the first one) and the chickenpox vaccine, but I’m currently researching if there is a point to give these separately to reduce the risk of side effects.

What are you actually concerned about? That isn’t clear. I can’t understand why you wouldn’t want the chicken pox vaccine given it’s been around for decades with no ill effects.

As someone who has had shingles pain and itching for five months I wish wholeheartedly that there had been a chicken pox vaccine when I was a child

We faced this decision over 20 years ago because the chicken pox vaccine was on the schedule where we lived. We chose not to have it (the chicken pox vaccine, they did have the mmr) because after doing research including our paediatrician looking it up, they couldn’t tell us how long it lasted and there was no availability in the U.K. for boosters then, chickenpox is more dangerous to adults. Both kids caught chickenpox within 2 months of moving back to school (primary and nursery school) to no ill effects beyond scratching. I would be looking at the current thinking on length of immunity (I was told 10 years but it may have changed) and booster shot plans

the chicken pox vaccine has been around a long time and been on the vaccine schedule of most other developed countries for years. The reason it’s rolled into an existing vaccine is so that your child has to have fewer needle sticks. What is it that concerns you, exactly?

As a point of information, @lovesTwhat you are doing is not research.

Oh ffs so you think my research is solely Mumsnet? Or maybe I'm looking at hearing other people's thoughts as well?

Totoalifine if I'm overthinking it, happy to be told that. Equally felt unprepared to make a snap decision when we were actually there. At least I can take a moment to think about it and go back, nurse was fine with that.

Thank you! This is definitely another consideration. I was planning for them to just get chicken pox. They're healthy kids with no immune conditions so was happy for that and the length of immunity is definitely worth considering!

Not new, many countries have had this on their schedule for decades. I know my eldest had it at 18mths, then from memory I think again at 4yo (but I’d need to check that). That would have been 25 years ago, and was standard back then (here). I’m not aware of issues with kids in our country due to being chicken pox vaxed.

I have my toddler booked in for the chicken pox vaccine so if they are now giving it as part of the MMR I could cancel and save ££. It does seem a lot to have together but then I thought that when they added the Men B vaccine and all was fine.

Both my older DC have had the chicken pox vaccine privately. A couple of their friends have ended up in hospital with horrible cases of chicken pox. Plenty haven’t of course but we decided to vaccinate our older two when they hadn’t caught it from nursery/ reception. It’s standard in some Countries.

What are you actually concerned about?

I had already paid privately for DC to have chicken pox vaccine before was introduced into MMR. DC2 had second dose MMR with V. I raised it with the nurse as he was already vaccinated against chickenpox and she said they don’t make MMR anymore only MMRV and that it would be ok.

many other countries also vaccinate against chickenpox as standard we are quite behind compared to some.

Overthinking it, lots of other countries have vaccinated against chickenpox for years.

Fwiw most people I know in children's health were paying for chickenpox vaccine up until it started being on NHS. UK decision was based on cost benefit analysis (and assessment of effects on the elderly) that hasn't really borne out.

You can’t ’plan for them just to get chicken pox’ though - my dd hadn’t by the time she was in her teens so we paid for her to be vaccinated as she really didn’t want to risk getting it during GCSEs etc.

I’d go for the chickenpox vaccine if offered. DH got chickenpox as an adult and I have seen him in so much discomfort, he was crying with the pain.

We are in Australia now and my kids are classified as “not fully vaccinated” as chickenpox is a standard childhood immunisation here but at the time not in England. It was queried when my youngest started school but by the time we arrived they had all had chickenpox.

In the olden days, the medical profession was much more paternalistic and told people what to do, whereas now there is (rightly) a much greater emphasis on patient choice and informed consent. But you can overthink these things and (kindly) I think you might be doing that here.

Do you have any expertise in healthcare research or immunology? Because the decision to add varicella to the vaccine schedule is taken by people who very much do. And they don't like spending money on things that don't confer benefit, so the picture has to be quite clear cut before they will recommend.

Years ago a friend of mine has to fight tooth and nail to get the varicella vaccine for her child with complex medical needs because the decision makers at the time weren't convinced about whether it was useful enough. More data has come in since then and the picture is now clearer - it is beneficial, and beneficial enough that it's worth giving in the vaccine schedule rather than letting people catch it in the community for free.

Another friend of mine has a child hospitalized with chicken pox because they were so ill - it can be nasty, including causing encephalitis.

Lastly, you might be aware that the shingles vaccine for elderly people seems to cut dementia risk quite a lot. I would take that as a cue - using vaccination to avoid getting chicken pox is probably a really good idea.

You’re “doing your research”??
So pleased that Google searches and Mumsnet posts carry equal scientific weight as hundreds of thousands of vaccines given to hundreds of thousands of people across dozens of countries.
FFS

That’s what I’m planning to do. DS has already had the chicken pox vaccine privately, and the first dose of the MMR made him really unwell so I am already dreading the next MMR. I was already considering getting the MMR components vaccinated separately but decided against it but now they’ve added chicken pox on too, I am worried about him being that unwell again, so we plan to get the MMR alone injected privately.

ETA - please don’t dismiss the chicken pox vaccine. Chicken pox can make children seriously unwell. I know someone whose son ended up with brain damage and life long disabilities after she took him to a chicken pox party. Yes chicken pox can just be annoying, but it affects children differently and you have no idea how yours will react to it.

Nurses can use their discretion and give MMR only if the alternative is that the child goes unvaccinated. It’s not an ‘official’ option, but the guidance is that with a prescribers written consent it can be done. We still stock MMR for over 6’s, travel etc. It’s freely available. Just not part of the standard schedule for younger children.
Have done it maybe twice since January in circumstances where despite education parents absolutely decline MMRV.
Practice nurse.

I paid for all mine to have the c pox vaccine. It’s been around for ages. You are overthinking it. Just protect your kids

You are being so unreasonable.

My dd had chickenpox so bad, including in her groin. I remember sobbing watching her writhe in pain and bravely resist the urge to scratch because that just made it worse, she was the bravest 3yo ever. I remember blaming myself over and over that I hadn't got round to doing the private vaccine in time. Then my 4mo baby caught it off her and we were in isolation (no soft play etc) for about 3 weeks in total back to back, it was like lock down again.

Get the bloody vaccine. It's free ffs, you are so fortunate.

Around half of her nursery classmates at the time had had the private vaccine, so when it went round the class, they didn't catch it. When she was finally back in nursery, covered in pockmarks, I remember the other mums being sympathetic but also saying stuff like "er, luckily for us, Araminta got the vaccine last year" and I was overwhelmed with shame and guilt. Because it's not luck is it. I was just lazy and disorganised. I still feel guilt about it.