Chicken pox vaccinations

[Gastons5dozenEggs]

Hi,

Just wanting to get a feel for whether you have paid for chicken pox vaccinations or would consider it? I see Boots will do so for £150.

Before COVID it seemed like this virus was regularly going around in the 0-7 age bracket at my first born DC school. It doesn't seem to have done the rounds at my second DC school over the last 3 years. I'm starting to wonder if more people are vaccinating or whether this is a result of everyone being a bit more distanced/washing hands etc.

I know chicken pox can be worse the older you get so presumably there is a cohort of kids born 2018 onwards that are vulnerable to this when they're older if they don't catch it when they're young or are vaccinated.

If loads of people are vaccinating, I am considering paying for private to eliminate this in the future. Welcome any thoughts :) Tia.

I just had my preschoolers jabbed for this on Monday. Not just to prevent them getting sick, but I simply cannot afford to take several days, possibly weeks off work to look after them if they did get it

Its going to be added if not already to newborn vaccinations as there's lots of evidence that it is effective now. I set a deadline for my youngest (2019 born) that if he hadn't had it by the end of year 1 I would pay for it. About 2 weeks after I decided this he got it! He wasn't ill at all just spotty but im pleased it was done with!

Here in Germany it is a standard recommended vaccination for children. They get the first dose at around 11 months and the second around 15 months. Since it is recommended, it is covered by health insurance.

I had both DDs vaccinated in 2022, my eldest was in year 6 and I didn’t want her going to secondary school still not having had it.
No side effects in either of them

I've had both DDs vaccinated. Did the first doses 1 month after the normal 12 month vaccines to space it from the MMR.

I had my dds vaccinated at 9m. Didn't think too hard about it, it just seemed an easy way to avoid getting the illness. Seems to be common to get it amongst parents we know (in an area where the cost isn't a barrier).

My children didn’t have the vaccination, they got chickenpox when they were very little and it was quite mild.
We now live in a country where the varicella vaccine is a requirement for school, so our doctor ran a titers panel which showed my children have immunity so we didn’t have to give them another jab which would have been completely unnecessary for them.
From what I’ve read, there’s talks of it being added to the U.K. childhood immunisation schedule anyway, so if I had the money going spare and my kids hadn’t had chickenpox yet, I’d probably do it 🤷🏻‍♀️

Yes. More than worth it for the peace of mind when the ubiquitous chickenpox email comes out from school or nursery, just as you’re about to go on holiday.

Paid to have the first dose privately next I didn't want two holidays ruining. Might wait for second dose to see if we can get on NHS

Had my daughter vaccinated 8 years ago. Several rounds of chicken pox at nursery and school and she didn't catch it. She was vaccinated just as Boots and Superdrug started to offer it. The nurse who did it said nearly everybody who was getting their kids vaccinated straight away were doctors and nurses.

I don’t think people are more distanced or more careful with handwashing tbh. So I’d assume that if there is an actual reduction in cases, it’s due to more people vaccinating.

It might be added to the nhs vaccines next year, maybe. If it gets the final approval.

I was told by my practice nurse that they're being rolled out from Jan in the NHS. I decided not to wait for my 14month old, and also previously vaccinated my 4yo. I'd assume more people are vaccinating now as 3 years ago when I had it done for my firstborn most parents I chatted to out and about weren't familiar with it, whereas there's much more awareness now.

Had mine vaccinated just before COVID. Age 2 and 5 and the reason was also not being able to afford the unpaid time off if they got it.

Mine are both vaccinated. Someone asked at a school gathering and all but one child in my daughter's class was vaccinated.
Aside from the health risks, I don't see much reason for them to be ill if they don't have to be. And they don't need to be dangerously ill to end up with facial scarring that could wreck their teenage confidence.

Thank you all for your responses to this, very grateful. It looks like an overwhelming number of you have vaccinated so I will go ahead and get this booked in. My first DC was very unwell with it at age 2 and it did require time off work, isolating him etc, he was pretty distressed with it. And the facial scarring is also a significant consideration. Thanks all x

I had the vaccine at 18 having never had chicken pox. I felt like DS deserved the same. I'm downright smug every time there's an outbreak. £150 is a small price to pay for your child's comfort and to avoid a week of horrible itching. We are a family of eczema sufferers and my son is a picker. There was no way I was going to risk it.

My daughter eventually caught it age 9. It was absolutely horrendous, she was covered in spots and so miserable poor thing. Wish I’d vaccinated her x