Do I postpone pre-school boosters to have the chickenpox vaccine?

[Lucky457]

DD1 is starting nursery soon, next month. She’s booked in for her pre-school booster immunisations next week so can’t have the chickenpox vaccine for four weeks after that due to there needing to be a four week break between that and the MMR one. I’ve asked at the Drs if they’ll do the chickenpox vaccine with her other ones if I paid there as it can be given at the same time as the MMR, just not four weeks before/after, but they’ve said no. So now I’m wondering whether to cancel the boosters and get the chickenpox vaccines first? Or whether to go ahead with the boosters and get the chickenpox vaccine booked for the end of next month which is the soonest we could do it but she’ll have had her settling in sessions and been at the nursery for over three weeks by this point. The nursery is in a forest setting and the doors always open with the children mostly outside so that will hopefully help minimise any risk of getting chickenpox until I can get her vaccinated. I was just going to go with the boosters next week then cross fingers that we avoid chickenpox until I can get her booked in for that vaccine but someone I was chatting to suggested I could always do it the other way round and I’m wondering if there’s anything that I could be overlooking if I did that. I probably would just go with the boosters first if it wasn’t for the fact there seems to be a lot of chickenpox about at the moment.

There’s a lot of measles about too, depending where you are…

I’d get the protection from the MMR first and then sort the chickenpox vaccine as soon as you can afterwards

What's the rush for the chickenpox one? At this age they usually get it pretty mild anyway. I'd definitely get the boosters first. Our daughter didn't get chicken pox until she'd been in nursery for over a year.

You’d be pretty unlucky to get chickenpox straight away starting nursery..

I'd definitely get the MMR first, those illnesses are generally worse than chicken pox... though of course bad chicken pox is horrible.

I think you'd be unlucky to get it within the first few weeks.

Agree with previous replies, also chicken pox is usually a winter virus, I think. You'd be unlucky to get it right off the bat!

Id also get the mmr protection first. In the last month there’s been 5 cases of measles in my sons primary school. He escaped chicken pox until last year when he was in year 2

I would go for the MMR first because there is measles going around and that's more serious than chickenpox

MMR first.

Another vote for MMR. Those vile nasties.

You can do the chickenpox on the same day as the MMR, so MMR at the GP then off to the pharmacy for chickenpox or the lot all at once at a private GP. But if you don’t want to do that or can’t match up the appointment times then def MMR first since measles is going around atm and it’s a lot more serious than chickenpox.

Dont delay the MMR. It is two shots though, two months apart? I think?
MMR protects against 3 diseases each one worse than chicken pox, so delay the chicken pox one until winter.

@SummerFeverVenice in the UK children get MMR at age 1 and the booster at 3 years 4 months.

Unvaccinated older children and adults would get two doses of MMR at least 4 weeks apart.

Yes this, except also in some high risk areas they give the MMR booster early at aged 2. I got a slightly snotty call from the nurse when DS was about 2.5 asking why he hadn’t had it, well because I thought it was 3 years 4 months, but apparently not in our borough and she was so keen she gave us an appointment in 15 minutes time!

Also why would you delay the chickenpox until winter @SummerFeverVenice ?? Agree MMR is the priority but surely get it as soon as you can afterwards?

I’d go with the preschool boosters first.

Chicken pox tends to have 2 peaks at distinct times of the year and this isn’t really chicken pox season.

Get the boosters. They are preventing much more serious illnesses than chicken pox. You can get the chicken pox one in 4 weeks, which is perfectly fine.

Your dc is only just starting nursery. My youngest is 6, has been in FT nursery since 11 months and has never had chicken pox (not vaccinated). The chances of being exposed, especially at this time of year, in a few weeks of starting nursery is incredibly unlikely.

Thanks for the perspectives! I’ll stick with my gut and go with pre school boosters first then get chickenpox sorted asap after.