Chicken pox vaccine advice please

[Cleanqueennot]

Can anyone with medical knowledge explain to me why the uk doesn’t vaccinate children (or adults) against chicken pox please? I’m considering vaccinating myself before trying for baby number 2 as I’ve never had chicken pox and now seriously considering vaccinating my 10 month old baby too.

NHS website has offered some explanation but I’m not convinced https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/chickenpox-vaccine-questions-answers/#:~:text=Why%20is%20the%20chickenpox%20vaccination,chickenpox%20and%20shingles%20in%20adults.

but what I am confused about is if they are worried that vaccines will cause other problems then why do most other developed countries offer them? Is this just a bullshit way of saying it costs too much money for them to roll it out if they don’t have to? If so, I’ll be getting us both vaccinated but just want to know what medical professionals think.

Thanks for reading 😁

Mainly cost for the NHS, the fact that most people catch it during childhood and due to it being a mild illness in the vast majority of cases. Other classic childhood infections ---- - measles, polio, rubella are statistically much more risky and so deemed necessary to vaccinate against (cost/benefit). The risks are outlined in that article you linked - if they rolled out a vax programme there would be risks of unvaccinated children catching chicken pox in adulthood as it tends to be worse the older you get.

I vaccinated my youngest child against chicken pox this year. Oldest caught it naturally as a toddler and was fine, but why take the risk / have the inconvenience of time off or plans ruined if you can afford the vaccine.

Thanks. I guess the bit I find most confusing is: “if they rolled out a vax programme there would be risks of unvaccinated children catching chicken pox in adulthood” - this is now me because I wasn’t vaccinated and never caught it, so how is that strategy supposedly affective?

I will have to wait until I stop breastfeeding to get my vaccine but in the meantime I think I will look into getting my baby theirs done, even though I’m a little nervous as he’s only 10 months old. How old was your youngest when you got them vaxed if you don’t mind me asking?

Only 10 countries in the EU vaccinate so I don't think it can totally be a cost issue. Although I'm sure there is a cost/risk analysis.

I caught chicken pox at 20 and it was hideous, I think I probably avoided it because I didn't go to any form of childcare until I started school. I vaccinated my child because it made sense - I work full time so two weeks off would be difficult, and there is always the risk of it being severe. Mine was about 16 months I think, it would have been earlier but for lockdown. You have to wait a certain amount of time after the MMR at 1.

Some of my friends' children have had chicken pox so badly they've told me they wished they'd vaccinated. No hospitalisations or anything, but it's a really nasty disease.

I looked into it and couldn't find a good reason not to vaccinate my kids against it, they have both been vaccinated and have avoided chicken pox multiple times as a result.

Your baby will need to be 12 months minimum for the vaccine. My child was vaccinated at about 14 months old. It's 2 vaccines 4-8 weeks apart. We have been in the middle of numerous chicken pox outbreaks at nursery and school and never got it. I know a few nhs GPs who have had their child vaccinated as well.

Can you vaccinate at 10 month old? I have vaccinated both my children and the advice is 13 month in the Uk.
it was absolutely fine, neither had side effects and neither has ever had chicken pox. Isn’t the Uk recommendation something to do with shingles?

Also are you sure you have to stop breastfeeding? I had my covid vaccine when I was breastfeeding and had vaccines when I was pregnant. Have you done any research OP?

We keep being told it's coming and will be introduced into the programme at some point. Not sure when. Not this year anyway. COVID delayed everything.
Practice nurse.

In Germany it's combined with the MMR jabs, so we get an MMRV (V for varicella) I don't see why that can't be easily rolled out in the uk.

We had DS vaccinated at around 12 months.

Even though DS was old enough for the vaccine himself they still wouldn’t vaccinate me because I was still breastfeeding.

As it happens I’m now pregnant again (DS is almost 2) but we never stopped breastfeeding and now obviously the risk to me and the next baby is much higher.

Chicken pox has been going round recently thousand DH didn’t catch it.

For the NHS I think it’s a cost thing. I have heard somewhere that part of it is because the immunity is better if you catch it rather than be vaccinated which could offer better protection to women when they’re pregnant 20-30 years after having the vaccine. I have no idea how true that is. I’m sure I’ve seen on here people saying they’ll vaccinate their sons but not their daughters for this reason. I think that’s a bit mean though. Given that the US has vaccinated against it for a long time I think we’d know if there were any long term issues.

I could not find anywhere that was willing to vaccinate me whilst still breastfeeding. The best I could have done was lied and said I wasn’t.

It’s partly because it’s only available privately unless you’re immunocompromised so where as the NHS often takes decisions based on individuals risk the private sector often stick much more to the exact wording provided by the drug companies who make the medicines/vaccines as the liability if something goes wrong works in a different way (paraphrasing).

Superdrug seems to offer the CP vaccine from 9 months
It can either be given at the same time as the mmr or there needs to be a gap of at least 4 weeks between them

Boots offers it from age 1

I remember hearing that too but don't think it's true. Otherwise why would they vaccinate children in US, Australia and lots of European countries such as Germany? When I had my child vaccinated the research I did revealed it isn't done on the NHS due to cost. But also due to the fact it circulates each year in unvaccinated children who catch it which boosts immunity of older people from the exposure. I think there's also a concern that if they ran a vaccine programme, that due to vaccine hesitancy (rates are generally down overall) the kids who miss out may get it much worse in adulthood which is especially dangerous when pregnant.

I researched it thoroughly and also asked the advice of my child's GP (who agreed it was best to vaccinate) and came to the conclusion the only downside of the vaccine was the cost.

I’m not certain but I’m sure I read somewhere that minimum age is 9 months. I think I’m likely to wait until he’s 1 year old anyway. It’s just funny because most people on here have said they have vaccinated their kids but in RL most of my friends see chicken pox as a minor illness that you throw a chicken pox party for other kids to catch!

Good point! When I tried to book with Boots it asked if I am breastfeeding so I assumed I can’t have it but then again I also did have all my covid vaccines and they asked if I’m breastfeeding too. I will have to do some research.

Regarding vaccine immunity waining in girls vaccinated as children, you could always encourage your child to get another dose as a booster when they reach adulthood

Most people don't vaccinate as they see it as a mild illness but also it's not cheap so that will be prohibitive. In real life most people I know didn't vaccinate but I know a few people who did including a couple who did it before their kids started reception as they hadn't had it yet. I also know a few who've said they wish they had vaccinated as their children were really unwell.

When I looked into it I read that the UK wasn't reaching the percentage of kids they wanted to be vaccinated with the MMR so until that target was met they weren't going to add on an arguably less important vaccination like the chicken pox one.

There were also concerns about more older people getting shingles if they weren't boosting their immunity by coming into contact with children with chicken pox. But I know there is a vax for shingles anyway.

When I was first researching nowhere in my town offered it but then when my daughter was approaching 2 Boots introduced it so I got her done. I mainly did it as I'd heard a few nasty stories of children getting CP badly. One of my friend's child had spots in his eye, damaging the muscle and resulting in eye surgery as his eye started looking inwards. I thought if I could prevent that then why wouldn't I?

My child suffered no side effects from the vax. I think I was warned to keep her away from people with low immunity due to chemo etc as it was a live vaccine, but she was allowed to continue going to toddler groups etc.

I think as an adult you can have a blood test to check for immunity to chicken pox, as if you're already immune you wouldn't need the vaccination.

this is now me because I wasn’t vaccinated and never caught it, so how is that strategy supposedly affective?

Vaccination programmes work based on the majority though - the number of people like yourself who get to adulthood having never had chicken pox I expect are very much in the minority. The vast majority of people catch it in childhood.

I think there’s multiple reasons it hasn’t been brought in - cost, the original vaccine wasn’t as good as the current one, the impact on adult CP & shingles and, probably most importantly, the lower uptake in other vaccines that are viewed as more important due to risk so not wanting to add more to the vax calendar and put people off.

I got my 2 kids vaccinated. The youngest was 1 & the eldest was 3. I'm glad I did it.

Yes, I just think why not save risking my baby getting it badly. I don’t know anyone that has had bad Chicken pox though so I guess my friends and family will think I’m being too cautious!

I know you can get a blood test to see if you’re immune but I live an hours drive from the nearest place that offers this service and it will cost £75 which is half the cost of getting the vaccine and I may need to them spend more money and travel getting the vaccine if I’m not immune. Im thinking if I’m going to have to travel 1 hour and pay over £70 I may as well just get vaccinated?

OP I also only know a small number of people in RL who have had their children vaccinated in the Uk. In my home country chicken pox vaccine is free and everyone is vaccinated and I don’t like my children to be sick and suffer. Also pragmatically staying home with a sick child costs us money (both self employed) and we prefered to pay for the vaccine than lose a week or more income.