Experiences of CP vaccine please.

[OdeToBarney]

I'd like to get DD vaccinated against CP. She's just had the MMR so know I have to wait a month. But I'm wondering whether your little ones had side effects after the CP jab? I'd still get it done, but after 11 days of horrible post MMR side effects, I'd like to be more prepared this time!

None. She was a little older as due to covid she wasn’t mixing. But I only had DD2 done and she didn’t have a bad reaction to the MMR either.

Both of mine had the CP vaccine - no side effects with either dose.

My DGC had the CP vaccine with no after effects. Definitely worth it as chicken pox is such a miserable thing to have.

My first son had no reaction at all. My second son has a little bit of a runny nose for a couple days after first dose then nothing after the second. Would highly recommend! Such a relief that the boys will likely never get chicken pox and if they do it should be a very mild case.

I’ve worked as a nanny and now a childminder so I’ve seen how awful pox can be and how long some children need to recover and the scars it can cause.

No side effects for us (except maybe a bit sleepier the day after). But we also had no side effects after the MMR.

I would still say do it, if she has such side effects from a vaccine, i would guess the actual thing would be a lot worse.

No side effects at all here, and very thankful we've had it done now that chickenpox is working its way through nursery!

None at all, for my DD. Chickenpox is horrid, so I think the vaccine is a no brainer.

No side effects at all for my son, it was the easiest vaccine he recieved. We are in Ireland where it is currently quite unusual to get the chicken pox vaccine, but it is in the process of being added to the routine vaccine schedule. My son was the only child in his preschool class to not get chicken pox, no regrets at all.

My girl had the first dose at 9 months, no side effects at all. Disappointingly she still caught chickenpox when she was about 12 months, before she could get the second dose. Perhaps it would have been worse if she hadn't already had a dose, although it was certainly bad enough. I don't think ours is a common experience though, I'll still get it for my next child.

When I had my chickenpox vaccine done a few years ago, I had no side effects at all. I was a bit worried after being floored by a Covid vaccine, but thought the vaccine itself was more painful at the time, afterwards was fine both times.

My son is older- he's 8... he had his 2nd dose last week and no side effects after either.

Nah, 3 kids vaxed and all totally fine. DD had her first dose a couple of weeks ago so maybe her second dose will be a nightmare but I doubt it!

It’s subcutaneous so they have to squeeze the flesh and it takes a few secs to administer so it’s not an easy one! But wayyyyy prefereable to having CP. So many of my friends have had such a rough ride with their kids and CP.

No side effects for either of mine.

Assuming CP is chicken pox, we had our son get the vaccine as soon as he could. No side effects at all, even mild ones. The same was true for my NCT friends who had it done.

No side effects at all but he has never had any reaction to any of his vaccines.

Had DS done as a toddler and no side effects.

DD had a rough ride after the MMR (nothing actually concerning, just a rough week or so with irritability, fever) but nothing after CP vaccine (given at around 14 and then ~ 18 months).

Its one of the standard childhood vaccines given here in the US, so all my dc and all of the dc I know have had it. No one mentioned any particular side effects and my dc didnt get any.

No side effects for DD1. She has avoided several outbreaks at nursery and didn't even catch it from her own little sister (who got it at 6 months before I could vaccinate her). Def worth.

Our son had it and we must be the unluckiest people-you can get a few chicken pox spots when you have the vaccination. He did, and one was on his actual eye so we ended up being sent to an and e. Then the icing on the cake was that my husband got shingles from my son. So we haven’t had the best experience! But on the other hand he’s never had bad chicken pox!

Both of mine have had both doses of the chicken pox vaccine, the younger one just last week, and were both absolutely fine.

Reaction to 1st MMR, not particularly ill but fever and measles like rash after 8/9 days
No reaction at all to the two CP vaccines
No reaction to the second MMR
Did catch chicken pox from nursery post 2nd vaccine. He had 3 spots. Not sure he even noticed he had them. Not sure anyone would have realised it was CP if his nursery wasn't riddled with it that week. 100% worth it. This was months ago and kids in his class still gave very visible spots

Thanks everyone, I'm going to book it later for ASAP, allowing for the gap between that and the mmr. We've had a rough time since the mmr, but to be fair she's also just started nursery and has a cold so I might be being a bit unfair to the mmr! I have quite a few CP scars and I definitely want to avoid her getting it as far as I can.

Side note - I don't think DH knows if he's had CP. Can he have the vaccine if he's not sure?

CP vaccine is one of the best tolerated - few side effects. Mine didn't have any. I really don't understand why more people don't get it (other than obvs those who can't afford it) - it's much less upset for the child than even a mild case of CP. If you are in the tiny number who still get CP after vaccination it will likely be very mild.

Yes your DH can have the vaccine. That’s why I had the vaccine done myself. He can have immunity testing done (privately) to check in advance if he wants, but personally I found it easier just having the vaccine.