why don't we vaccinate against chicken pox?

[wheelsonthebus]

says mum with smothered, miserable daughter (spots on eyelids, in ears, on heels, everywhere....) I would have paid privately if I had known how awful it was.

It would be very expensive for the NHS, which has so many other demands on it. And for the vast majority of children it is a relatively mild transitory illness. Sorry your daughter is so miserable though.

Its long-term effectiveness is not known, given that it is a relatively new vaccine.

Boostering it through the course of one's lifetime would be costly.

Even more costly is chickenpox in an adult, as it is rarely without complications in adulthood.

we do here in Aus dd1 was not vaccinated ( due to living in the UK) and ended up with a very very good dose at about 18 months old - spots absolutely everywhere!! Dd2 is vaccinated against it.

ah eidsvold - i am v envious on my dd's behalf. did all your other child's spots vanish completely? calomine and piriton seem a bit useless to me.

I can so sympathise with you wheelsonthebus. Both my DS's had it last year - DS2 was particularly bad (inside his mouth, ears and bottom were the worst).

Both DS's have got some scarring too.

Having said that - CP is, as Aloha says, usually a relatively mild transitory illness. Even with hindsight, I think I'd prefer to stick to immunising my children against potentially life threatening diseases only.

we used aqueous calamine and it seemed to ease her - piriton was useless. We had a few sleepless nights with her. Just one small scar - just above one eyebrow - can't really see it unless you look for it. She did not scratch much surprisingly.

I believe that it is because the current vaccine only lasts for a matter of years not life and that's fine if people are diligent about renewing the vaccine. However the reality is kids become young adults who DON'T have boosters in the same way they don't go for dental checkups even though their parents were once religious about it. And getting CP as an adult is no laughing matter. It's certainly not nice in children (says a mum who's 10 month old is just recovering from the worst case the local hospital has seen in years, very very poorly boy). But I also remember my dad having it when I did as a child and he nearly died. He couldn't breathe and ended up slipping in and out of consciousness for 2 weeks. Of course none of us wish our children to be poorly and would love a vaccine but until they can give a vaccine that is guaranteed for life and not a stop-gap then I think unfortunately the safest course is for children to be allowed to catch it and get natural immunity for life. Just my opinion though and I'm sure there are many different sides to this arguement! Anyway, I hope your daughter is much better soon.

Vaccines can cause health problems themselves, especially if they contain mercury preservatives

mousie again we are lucky here in Aus as mercury preservatives are illegal and have been for some time.

I thought babies were vaccinated in the US
My DS's chickenpox was very mild, so I'm glad they weren't vaccinated.

I had the vaccine when I was about 19. In my bottom - one in each cheek. Painful.Not sure how long it was supposed to last.

What I would like to know is whether having the chickenpox vaccine then protects you against having shingles? Since shingles is caused by the chickenpox virus lying dormant in your system and later reviving - surely it would be worth vaccinating if that meant you would never suffer shingles as an adult either.

I fervently wished for this 2 weeks ago when DS had it very very badly! He was smothered. Have never seen a case like it (except on the Google image pages!) He was ill too. And he is only 6 so it's not always mild.

Even now all the scabs are off his skin is a terrible mess. We went smimming yesterday and people stared at him in horror

Yes, the cp vaccination does help with shingles. It doesn't totally prevent it, but it does make it much much lighter if it does come. Vaccinations here in the usa are more or less mandatory, so you get a much better pickup rate than in the uk. I had both my kids done for cp (had to have it done in usa as it wasn't available at that time in the uk). I am so glad I did. I know several children who were severely ill with cp and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

How long does the vaccination last?

Any idea where i can get this vaccination in the UK?

I got mine privately in France.

amyjade- try direct health, or the breakspear hospital in herts- they'll do most things if you pay.

although amyjade- given your situation I think you could aks your GP tbh.

I've been drinking- I hope that doesn't sound wrong- I just mean that if I was your GP I would give you any vaccination you asked for unless it came with lots of nasty potential side effects, and I don't think you should have to pay. In the UK boosters prob wouldn't be such a prooblem as there's so much wild chickenpox around that you should get lots of natural booster iyswim.

ok am confused

so the vaccine lasts less long than actually catching the diesase?

why would that be then?

To my knowlege chicken pox can be bloody serious in kids and I don't especially want my kids getting it, tbh.