Chicken pox vaccine

[reastie]

I'm considering this for DD. Apparently it's quite routine in most other developed countries to get this vaccine but NHS don't give it as they don't see the pox as too problematic in general for children to suffer through and it prob saves them money . I can pay for it privately at my surgery for £100.

DD is my pfb. I know for most children chicken pox isn't that serious but how bad is it? I'm wondering if potential work and so loss of income I may have to miss etc to look after an infectious child will make the price of the vaccine actually not nearly as bad as it sounds.

Has anyone had the vaccine or any experiences of it? Anyone give me a heads up mums opinion on how rough having a child with chicken pox is (or isn't as the case may be)?

I should add (as I realise I may have come across as a bit selfish in my reasoning for dd having the vaccine) my main reason for wanting it done is not wanting dd to suffer through an illness I knew I could prevent and why should she be ill if there's an injection that can easily stop it. Not to mention any potential complications or if she doesn't get it in childhood it may be more serious for her later on. The loss of income from taking time off for her is more the logic I can use to persuade get DH to agree to it

I think that considering vaccinated children can still catch chicken pox and that it doesn't protect from shingles, I would go with letting the child catch it naturally.

Chicken pox for adults can and usually is worse than for children so imagine having your child vaccinated and them catching it anyway when they are an adult.

Going by the fact that they could get chicken pox either way I would prefer for them to catch it naturally rather than inject more toxins into their body on the off chance that it does work.

both mine were vaccinated against chicken pox privately.
main reason with dc1 was eczema.
was very glad I did it as the 'pox were doing the rounds shortly after the vaccination and they didn't get it.
one child in nursery was very ill with it, with pox in the windpipes, and was in hospital for a week.

DS had chickenpox age 4 and, quite honestly, aside from one day when he was a little grumpy and mildly feverish (fixed with Calpol) you'd have struggled to say he was ill. The spots were tiny and he's been left with no scars. I took no time off work.

I, on the other hand, was deliberately kept away from people with chickenpox when I was growing up but finally contracted it age 14. I still remember it tday because it was absolutely bloody awful. A whole fortnight off school, sick as anything, lethargic, feverish, depressed because the spots were so disgustingly enormous... and I've been left with some deep scars on my face and body that, whilst not disfiguring, are visible.

I had cp as a toddler and still have the scars...no guarantee that it will be mild.

I got DD vaccinated; was a squeeze financially, but no regrets and she had no reaction to it at all.

AFAIK, they are unsure of the length of time it protects for, as the vaccine was only introduced en masse about thirty years ago. They are monitoring the first cohort of children to have received it ( in japan I think?) and measuring their immunity as they get older.

Chicken pox can be mild, but it can be awful. Vaccination was the best choice for us.

I didn't realise they didn't know how long lasting it was

I guess the thing with chicken pox is is that you don't know how bad (if at all) it will hit your LO until they get it

I wonder how common it is for people to get the vaccine over here then

I don't think it's common at all. Most people are content with the routine vaccinations provided for free and wouldn't spend extra on a vaccine for something which is not regarded (by the general public as well as the NHS) as dangerous.

DC was vaccinated against chickenpox (privately). Most of her class went down with it -she only had 3 spots which looked like chickenpox to me but GP was not sure and told me even if it was she did not believe her to be infectious due to her vaccination and to send her to school as normal (she was feeling absolutely fine and spots did not itch at all). We were at the time of vaccination advised that she needed to have a booster at 5 unless she had been exposed to chickenpox in the meantime. She may need a further booster as teenager. But even people who have had chickenpox can get it again, also when adult. So neither through contracting it nor through vaccination you get 100% lifelong protection.

My mum's sister died from chicken pox and my best friend's sister almost did and now has scarring. I had 2 weeks in discomfort but was otherwise fine. I'm glad there is now a vaccine, it's given freely here.

Mine have both been vaccinated. DD1 had it done routinely as we were living in Turkey at the time and is part of their vaccination programme there. DD2 had in done privatley in the UK as we wanted them both to have the same vaccinations.