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Original poster

Would you get your child vaccinated against chicken pox?

58 replies

mommathatwearspink · 08/03/2018 18:30

I'm considering getting DS vaccinated against chicken pox when he is 1 and can't really find any reason why I shouldn't. Although my DD had a mild case and wasn't particularly unwell (I wasn't aware there was a vaccine at the time), I don't see why DS needs to go through it all.
Would you get your child vaccinated? Is there a reason I shouldn't? If you did, where did you get it done?

OP posts:

RNBrie · 08/03/2018 22:49

It's a standard vaccine in many countries and I doubt that would be the case if there were significant concerns with the vaccine itself or the supposed risk of an increase in adult shingles.

Pretty sure the real reason it's not part of our standard vaccine program is due to the cost.

LeighaJ · 08/03/2018 22:51

I would. While I fortunately had no complications when I had chicken pox as a child nor was I left scarred by it, I wouldn't want to risk my kids not being as fortunate as I was.

minipie · 08/03/2018 22:51

Yes, both mine were vaccinated, mainly as they have skin which scars very easily (like DH who has several deep scars despite having it very mildly)

pallisers · 08/03/2018 22:52

2 of mine had it. It is part of the standard vaccinations where we live. My son had CP before the vaccination became available. It wasn't nice.
He has also had shingles as a teenager.

MoonlightMedicine · 08/03/2018 22:53

Excuse the typos in my previous post, hopefully you got the gist.

I was told by my doctor that the only reason we don’t vaccinate here as standard is cost.

Upsidedownandinsideout · 08/03/2018 22:55

Have vaccinated all three of mine, no ill effects. I have facial scarring and have also suffered the worst agony of my life with shingles - would do anything to spare them that! Apparently the rumour that they might need boosters when (much) older is rubbish - but even if turns out they do, to me it's a small price to pay!

wildduckhunt · 08/03/2018 22:55

My oldest had a mild case at 12m old, but I’m getting DD vaccinated after my friends baby was hospitalised. DD has eczema and I worry about it getting infected.

May09Bump · 08/03/2018 22:57

Yes - but advised not to have it until age two, we did it in America where it's standard. It's worked so far for my 9yr old, and I'm counting the days until my toddler can get it again at 2. We had hand, foot and mouth which is similar (TBH, we experienced worse symtoms, than when I had CP) - so hopefully we can dodge the CP with her too.

I wouldn't do it at 1, because they also get other vaccinations then. But if Dr is advising it is now ok, its a personal thing.

BathtubPorn · 08/03/2018 23:09

I definitely would. I really wanted to but we moved back to the uk before it was due on DS's vaccination schedule and didn't find a private clinic in time. He got really poorly with it and I regret not getting it done!

BubbleAndSquark · 09/03/2018 11:27

If they get the vaccine, are they more likely to not have immunity when they're older than if they catch chickenpox? Or is it just a general population risk for unvaccinated people that they're trying to avoid by not giving it?

Considering it for DD2 as she doesn't handle illnesses well (was born at 28 weeks and she ends up a lot worse than my 4 month old if they catch the same thing) but I don't want to if it will put her at risk of immunity having 'worn off' by the times shes an adult with the risks in pregnancy etc.

MimpiDreams · 09/03/2018 11:37

I'm not in the UK and it's not given here either. The reason given is that there is evidence that it does not protect for life so you run the risk of protecting children from a mild disease but put them at risk of a more serious disease when they're adults.

Girlwhowearsglasses · 09/03/2018 11:45

In a heartbeat..

DS1, 2 , 3 had it and it took a month to make its way through the family. As if a month of being indoors wasn’t bad enough it was really nasty for DS and he has facial scars from it. He was nearly hospitalise dand his immune system was so low that he got a really nasty chest infection 2 weeks later and nearly missed a family wedding.

My cousin got encephalitic through the same hong - being so ill from the chickenpox.

A friend who got it in adulthood drowned in the bath because she had a fit and fell unconscious (fits commonni. Adult chickenpox - she had full chickenpox not shingles) . So chicken pox is not my friend

Even if you have it so you don’t have to cancel a holiday if you get it I would - you’re not supposed to fly if he spots still infectious.

CannaeBeErsed · 09/03/2018 11:49

I haven't with my kids and they caught chicken pox and were absolutely fine. However, after hearing what happened to a colleague's child, if I had another baby then I would have the vaccination. I never really thought that it could be life threatening but colleague nearly lost her DD. Her DD didn't have any immunity issues or anything, it just happened.

mommybunny · 09/03/2018 11:57

I had had the attitude that I would see if my DCs got it through the normal course of school/nursery attendance, and if they didn't I would get them vaccinated before their absence from school really started to "matter", like just before their 11+ exams or GCSEs/A-levels. For whatever reason they never came down with it through numerous school epidemics, so a couple of years ago (I think DS was 8-9 and DD 6-7?) I privately paid for them both to be vaccinated, and I made sure I got the boosters a few weeks later. It was expensive (I believe £200 all in per child) but in my opinion money well spent.

Upsidedownandinsideout · 09/03/2018 12:01

@Bubbleandsquark we asked our doctor (we also lived in a country where the vaccine was part of the regular program), and she said that while some studies have suggested longer protection, others suggested that efficacy may decline over time - but even so firstly you would still have decent protection, and likely get a milder version even if you did, but also very importantly there is nothing stopping your DD getting a booster later on in life if it turns out the protection does decline.

Emaline · 09/03/2018 12:23

I didn't and if I had my time again I would but it's too late now as both DC have had it.

Luckily for us no complications like others have described but having seen how miserable they were and also the logistical nightmare with 2 working parents and the long incubation with 2 siblings is best part of a month juggling work, taking unpaid leave, then I think even at the high cost the vaccine is worth it. My eldest seemed immune for years when it was doing the rounds of nursery every year then when her little sister got it , 2 weeks later like clockwork.

And if you like or need to travel regularly it's like a ticking time bomb!

BanyanTree · 09/03/2018 12:26

I got both mine vaccinated because I thought they had missed the age of catching it off their peers. Within 3 weeks of the vax, half of my DC's friends at school came down with it. My DC didn't pick it up from any of them. I was really glad I did it.

Utini · 09/03/2018 13:05

Live vaccines need to be done either at the same time, or at least 4 weeks apart. Bear that in mind with the timing, as the MMR is also a live vaccine.

We got MMR done once DD turned 1, then chickenpox a month later.

unintentionalthreadkiller · 09/03/2018 13:24

I absolutely would. Dts has it age 7 and it was really awful. I have no idea how it escaped me that vaccination was possible, not how ill they could be with it.

Original poster

mommathatwearspink · 09/03/2018 19:53

Thank you everyone. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind now and I'll looking to book something over the weekend. Hopefully DS won't catch it before his 1st birthday in 6 weeks. Can anyone in the UK recommend a private clinic to get it done please?

OP posts:

Utini · 10/03/2018 12:05

Superdrug was the cheapest place I found in my area, £65 per dose.

Original poster

mommathatwearspink · 10/03/2018 16:30

I've booked in for the vaccine for 6 weeks time. £55 per shot with CityDoc.
However I've just spoken to a friend who vaccinated her child and she said her daughter was covered after she'd had her vaccination but wasn't ill. Surely the point of the vaccination is that they don't get it at all. Did any of your DC have similar side effects after their vaccination?

OP posts:

IveGotStupidHair · 10/03/2018 19:47

Neither of my dc had any kind of reaction to it. I don’t remember the pharmacist mentioning getting spots as a possible side effect.

realisticallynot · 11/03/2018 14:38

My son had a chickenpox rash after his immunisation. In his case, he had two spots next to the injection site. I gather that the average is five spots and they are most usually around the injection site but might be elsewhere also.

As the immunisation contains weakened virus, regardless of whether the child gets a rash they won't have symptoms of illness and won't be contagious (to folk with normal immune systems). So it's not the same as if they'd had the virus naturally.

Celticlassie · 11/03/2018 20:49

Can you report back and let us know how you get on please, Momma?

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