Getting DCs vaccinated against Chicken Pox?

[bringmesunshine2009]

DSs 2 and 1 missed the last circuit of the pox. I am back at work and figure a vaccination is a helluva a lot cheaper than days off work, plus I am happy to spare them from being grumpy and itchy. Particularly since DH hasn't had it before, I am struggling to see any great arguments for not doing it.

The main googleable disadvantage seems to be the more people are vaccinated against CP the less exposure others have, increasing their chance of shingles? Which seems a bit of a stretch, since DSs are a wee drop in the population ocean.

So AIBU, if so why? Unless I hear amazing arguments to the contrary I am calling the vaccination people ASAP.

Well since I took my DD to catch CP today from another child I'd say YABU.

I was BF'ing and had the jab. Unfortunately it didn't pass immunity onto DD2, she caught it just a few weeks later (CP was rampant in my area at that time). I didn't catch it despite BF-ing and being sole carer for DD2 (and had been tested and was def not immune before).

Re: vaccine lasting 15yrs, as I understand it they don't know. They initially guessed 15 years based on US data but apparently Japan (I think, don't quote me on that) have been using the vaccine for longer than that, and longer than the US, and they believe longer (not enough data to say for sure whether life or less - I think vaccine is just too new).

If vaccinated you can get CP but almost always v.mild, thats why they changed it in the US from one vaccine to 2 doses - doesn't that change it from 70% immune (1 dose) to over 90% (2 doses)? - again don't quote me on exact figures, I looked into this a while ago!

hth.

I have just had ds vaccinated. I just went into our gps and asked, and they said they can order the vaccine in, it is normally about £60 a jab.

I think the biggest problem with it is that it's faily new. They don't really know what the implications are regarding shingles ie not strong enough to and still could cause shingles.

shingles is actually a lot worse then CP and not very nice. I will probably get DS vaccinated if he's not had it by about 10years old but we'll wait and see. DD has already had it when she was about 2.5years old.

I would do it. When ds had CP he was really ill for 6 weeks. I'd have paid a lot of money for a jab that could have stopped him getting it.

It's a standard vaccine here in Germany. Having had CP twice (so much for the lifetime immunity thing if you get it naturally), I was happy to let the doctor get on with it.

Someone I was at school with died in his twenties from a rare complication from Chickenpox. I got Chickenpox as an adult when my first child got it and was ill for four weeks, I had spots on my scalp which were excruciating.
BTW there was a case on the ward when my DD1 was born and as I wasn't immune, she had to be given immunoglobilin injections. They injected into her tiny little legs, I can still remember her screams. She had Chickenpox aged 1 and had shingles at 8.
I would definitely vaccinate!!

I had both ds vaccinated at a travel clinic, £50 per jab, and they needed 2 each, 2 months apart. DS2 had to be over 1 so I waited until he had had his other jabs and did it at 15 and 17m. Health visitor implied it would be on the uk schedule if there was the money for it. Apparently at the moment advice is that no booster will be needed in their teens but the nurse suggested I make a note in their red books to check this in 10 years or so.

Hi there
We ahve moved this thread to vaccinations
Thanks MNHQ

Complications with CP are more likely in adulthood and extremely rare in children. This thread is slightly skewed with negative stories about it but you can check on the NHS website. Most children get through CP with a few days of itchiness which can be managed quite easily. I am happy that both DSs have had it (no problems with either of them) and now have lifelong immunity. I think it would be worth testing for immunity if you don't think you have had it by your teenage years (some people have it very mildly and still gain immunity) and considering the vaccine then. Bear in mind that the vaccine is less effective in adulthood which would make me even more reluctant to have protected against it in childhood when it is more likely to be uncomplicated and risk catching CP when you're older because your vaccine immunity has waned and the booster doesn't work for you.

All chicken pox complications I know were in children between 18 months and 4 years (convulsions, strokes, osteomyelitis).

yes sadly the worst cp complications I have experience of have been between 1 and 4.

In ds's case, he has problems with swallowing, due to underlying health concerns, and his gp thought these could be exacerbated if he contracted cp.

The stroke from cp I knew was in a 6 year old boy. He paralyzed down one side of his body.

I don't think the NHS or HPAare saying that complications in children never happen - just that they are rare in healthy children and much more likely in adults. The adults I know who have had it (in most cases caught from their children) have said it was awful and they wish that they'd had it when they were young because their children didn't seem to suffer with it too badly. Of course there are exceptions but I do think there is a bit of a skewed view of it on this thread because people are coming on and telling the worst case scenarios. The vast majority of people on MN and in RL will tell you that it wasn't too bad and that they don't know anyone who has had complications. I know someone who slipped on his floor and fell and ended up paralysed from the neck down but that doesn't mean that it happens that often or that I warn everyone about the dangers of a wooden floor...

One of dc ended up in hospital at 10 months old, she hadn't slept for days was just so ill - turned out she had a raging ear infection (that 2 drs hadn't noticed!!)

One dc had only just started antibiotics after finally having had strep A diagnosed - she could have died otherwise.

Out of 4 dc only one had it mild and I would def get any further dcs vaccinated, it isn't some harmless virus, it can leave them vulnerable to life threatening complications or can mask other conditions that again could have been life threatening.

I seem to be the only person on this thread whose children had 'normal' cp and who doesn't know anyone who had complications!

From NHS and HPA - hopefully other people reading this will be slightly reassured...

"Chickenpox is a mild and common childhood illness that most children catch at some point."

"Chickenpox in children is considered a mild illness, but expect your child to feel pretty miserable and irritable while they have it."

"For most children, chickenpox is a mild illness that gets better on its own.
But some children can become more seriously ill with chickenpox. They need to see a doctor.
Contact your GP straight away if your child develops any abnormal symptoms, for example:
if the blisters on their skin become infected
if your child has a pain in their chest or has difficulty breathing"

"Chickenpox is usually a mild illness and most healthy children recover with no complications"

bumbley I was absolutely the same until is was my children who suffered complications even though my eldest had horrific spots I still saw it as a mild illness, however 2 of the younger ones being so unwell and the narrow miss we had made be reconsider my opinion.

I always warn people to not deliberately infest their dc until they are fully verbal so usually that would be at least 3?

some gp's do the vaccines privately, you can ask at the reception.
both mine are vaccinated, dc1 has eczema and the dermatologist reccommended it.

I think for the majority of kids it is a mild illness, some neurotic mums like me will always opt to vaccinate (and I have a selfish reason for it too in that I work f/t as a GP and have no local relatives so if DD got it and needed a week of nursery we would be screwed as a family)

I have just had a long discussion with a private GP about this. A few things to add that I haven't seen mentioned yet:

• The NHS was all set to introduce routine CP vaccine for all children from April this year, but it got pulled at the last minute.

• Most other countries routinely vaccinate against CP

-The first jab gives you 65% immunity, the second jab takes it up to 95%. If you go on to get CP it is likely to be a much more mild form and less likely to scar.

• They used to think the immunity lasted for 20 years but latest research shows it is more like 40 years.

Why would anyone not vaccinate their child against unnecessary suffering and a disease which can (although unlikely) be fatal?

Cost where I live (Surrey) is £85 x 2.

thank you Pixie, that is really interesting. I hope the NHS will revisit the issue soon!

We did it. DS (15 months) had his first a few weeks ago. We were told that immunity would kick in at 10-14 days.

At around 7-8 days he came into contact with two children who were infectious, and he got a total of 3 spots and a mild rash on one cheek.

We were told (sorry if this has already been mentioned - haven't read the whole thread) that most other countries have the vaccine as standard, and that the reason the UK doesn't is because it was first introduced to the UK in the middle of the Wakefield/MMR drama, and it was thought that the public wouldn't accept it - the idea was (and still is, I believe) to include the vaccine in the MMR, so that it will become the MMRV.

"Why would anyone not vaccinate their child against unnecessary suffering and a disease which can (although unlikely) be fatal?"

Oh good grief!

From a recent discussion on FB - this 6 year old had an "uncomplicated" course of chicken pox - some people just don't want their kids to have to go through that and since a safe vaccine is available, we don't have to

a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/579735_10151014045779664_1835827414_n.jpg

I should post photos of my boys' uncomplicated cases - around 100- 150 spots, itching easily controlled with porridge baths and calamine lotion and the two of them bounced around and laughed and played pretty much the whole time. They were a bit 'off' just before the spots came out with a slight fever and that was pretty much it.

I think people are losing sight of what 'suffering' actually is if they're worrying about a case of chickenpox.