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Original poster

Chicken pox vaccine, would you do it?

105 replies

firsttimemama1994 · 27/04/2025 10:07

Just wanting to get general opinions on the chicken pox vaccine. If any children have had it, was there any side effects? We have no particular reasons to get it, but I worry about my daughter being poorly and having scars etc, potentially ruining holidays and flying and that sort of thing. Just normal concerns about chicken pox I suppose.

thank you x

OP posts:
Flubadubba · 27/04/2025 10:09

We had it booked for DD after not being able to during COVID as there was an outbreak locally. However...the day before she came out in the first chicken pox spots (luckily mild).

TonerNeedsReplacing · 27/04/2025 10:11

My children have had it. Only downside was the cost! They suffered no side effects.

I had serious chicken pox as a child and it made me really unwell and I have scars to this day.

LilyLondon · 27/04/2025 10:25

Yes, I’d absolutely do it. To keep things short, I have two kids, both had nursery outbreaks at around 10mo, first we were informed of, vaccinated post-contact, and my older son was fine; second we were not informed of and it was horrendous, lasted over a week, thousands of spots, still some scarring almost a year later. Also when the youngest was sick, the oldest one contracted it but was so mild he had exactly two spots and I noticed them when they were already healing. He had 0 side effects from the vaccine.

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AnneLovesGilbert · 27/04/2025 10:30

Yes! I missed the chance with both of mine who caught it before I could get them vaccinated. One of my has had chicken pox 3 times. Even when it’s not serious it’s fucking awful. If you can afford it then do it.

Tryingtoconceivenumber2 · 27/04/2025 13:30

Oldest child had the vaccine just before 3. It's absolutely rife in our area at the moment so have youngest (17 months) booked in this week and oldest for the second dose. She is just gone 5.

No side effects from the first jab for the oldest. I had I very bad as a child and some of DDs friends have had very nasty cases of it recently. I'm all for the Jab x

OhHellolittleone · 27/04/2025 13:31

Yes. No regrets!

Happymomoftwo · 27/04/2025 13:34

My dd is 11 and has always avoided catching it. I’m wondering whether to get her vaccinated in case she doesn’t catch it til she’s an adult when it’s meant to be more painful. I’ll be watching this thread with interest.

FanofLeaves · 27/04/2025 13:34

We only managed to get one dose in- in the interim I lost my job and couldn’t afford the second round. The pharmacist said just one dose would be around 80-90% effective, so we left it. My three year old has been exposed to CP twice at nursery and after a holiday when two of his cousins subsequently came down with it and avoided both. So just the one was absolutely worth it.

weve had all the others though, HFM, slapped cheek, croup 😩

whoisit1234 · 27/04/2025 13:35

My 2 year old has had both doses, no side effects at all. There's been numerous break outs of chicken pox at nursery since and she's been fine

BabyDoge · 27/04/2025 13:36

I've had both of mine vaccinated at 4 and 1. No side effects, and when chickenpox was going round DS' class he was absolutely fine.

hernameis · 27/04/2025 13:41

Get the vaccine, chicken pox can be awful and scars last a very long time!.

It is very rare to have chicken pox a second time - if you do its termed shingles and is more prevalent in middle age. Shingles is very painful.. If you are vaccinated against chicken pox you will never get shingles.

My kids didn't experience any reactions to the jab either.

MaltipooMama · 27/04/2025 14:02

My one year old has had this and our second will as well! Absolutely no side effects and didn’t get so much as a temperature which they told us might be the case. Only downside was it wasn’t cheap 😧 but well worth it in my opinion!

CordeliaNaismithVorkosigan · 27/04/2025 14:08

We had DD vaccinated when she was 2. No side effects, there’ve been several school outbreaks and she hasn’t caught it, so absolutely worth it.

shivermetimbers77 · 27/04/2025 14:11

We got the vaccine as my DS is a real scratcher and I knew if he got chicken pox he would end up tearing them to shreds. He had no side effects from the vaccine.

Ohdearwhatnow4 · 27/04/2025 14:12

None of mine had it as wasn't a thing but I'd certainly consider it now days. One of my dd had it so bad she was in hospital for nearly a week as she had it internally. No scars on any on mine though. I remember having kids round to play when my eldest had it so all the local kids caught it at same time, wouldn't do that now days.

examadmin · 27/04/2025 14:15

My son is now 6 and had the first dose the day he turned 9 months, which was the minimum age at the time. I don't know if it has now changed. We got it on the NHS because I was about to start chemotherapy, so it was a no brainer but I hope we would have arranged it privately anyway. He's never had chickenpox and didn't have any side effects.

SendBooksAndTea · 27/04/2025 14:15

Definitely, dd had no side effects and didn't get it when it went round her class. My Auntie lost sight on one eye due to chicken pox so I was extra cautious.

SpruceMoose · 27/04/2025 14:31

My oldest (now 6) had the first vaccine at 1yr as we lived abroad at the time and it was on the schedule. He was due his next one at 4yrs but we were back in UK by then. He was around children with chicken pox at pre-school and got horrific cold. His little brother (8 months at the time) caught chicken pox off me having shingles and the oldest again had a horrific cold so we decided to pay for the 2nd vaccine. Glad we did as there was a huge pox outbreak in his class this year and he was absolutely fine. Still considering getting the youngest the vaccine even though he's had it as I've heard if they have pox before 1 they can get it again. No side effects from the vaccine either time for us.

Scottishgirl85 · 27/04/2025 14:38

Vaccinated our 3rd child after logistically ridiculous experience with our 1st child (cp started day before we were due to fly abroad for ivf), and absolutely horrific case of cp with 2nd child where she was terribly unwell. I am so glad we've done it for 3rd child. No side effects.

DGPP · 27/04/2025 14:40

Yes. CP stopped my eldest sleeping and was all over their privates. Horrendous experience. Why would you put a child through that when there’s a safe vaccine? Other countries such as Australia have vaccinated for years

SweetBaklava · 27/04/2025 14:44

Yes in a heartbeat! Both of mine had it before I had a chance to vaccinate them, one caught it at nursery and passed to the older one… who then infected seven classmates one of whom ended up hospitalised ☹️ Luckily he was ok in the end, but recovery was long!

Natsku · 27/04/2025 14:53

I got both my children vaccinated, dd had the separate chicken pox vaccine and ds had the one combined with the mmr. Neither had any side effects beyond the normal slight temperature with vaccines

ACynicalDad · 27/04/2025 14:55

Felt like a fortune for two kids, but saved them the discomfort at best, or complications at worst and also meant in the days before WFH we didn't need to take time off to cover the kids, potentially one after the other.

N0tfinished · 27/04/2025 14:58

I would in a heartbeat. My youngest had an awful experience with them, I wouldn’t want another child to experience it if it was avoidable

comfyshoes2022 · 27/04/2025 14:58

It’s standard in other countries.