Chicken Pox vaccine - any views?

jules06 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:09

With all the information on the news with these top doctors suggesting lo's should be vaccinated for chicken pox, anyone have any views?

They have said it would be ideal to give the vaccination at the same time as the mmr, but with the low uptake of this vaccination, then it would cause issues in itself with distribution.

Has anyone had their lo's vaccinated? I have not read much about it other than what has beed suggested that it would increase the risk of shingles and perhaps an epidemic at some point of that, but need to weigh up the pros and cons..

dymp · #2 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:20

I asked a nurse about this before, it's routine in USA but not in Ireland (where i live). My girl got chicken pox around her second birthday, she wasn't very bad with it, didn't even get that many spots, thank god. But only two kids at her party were two cousins who had been vaccinated in the US. Nurse said v few kids in Ireland vaccinated, she had to order it for baby with some skin condition.
I had chicken pox when i was 12 and got it bad, affected my balance and everything, my OH got it few years ago and was very very bad, the older you are, the worse it is.
I gave my LO phenergan when she had it and i think it helped alot.
Some people think kids get enough vaccines, why another one? What you think?
Some people have chicken pox parties! Bring their kids to an infected house and hope there kids pick it up and get it over with!
D

cole · #3 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:42

I asked Georgias consultant about chicken pox vaccine and he advised against it at the moment because they dont know the full extent of the problems they can suffer later on in life and if the vaccine actually last for life. So for now we aren't getting her vaccinated. xx

Lightning · #4 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:44

I don't think Michael will be having it, it took me ages to make up my mind about the MMR and in the end we decided that he would have the single jabs the first of wich he had last week. I don't think I would want him to have another jab to be honest.

hectic mummy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:49

Im not sure as I havent heard much about this.

jules06 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 11:58

This is the reasons I ask, I don't know enough about it and it is routine in the states ( I believe?), so wonder what the benefits are from having it as routine over there.

I had suspected shingles not long after giving birth to lauren and I would not wish it on my worst enemy, I have never been in so much pain, even the feel of clothes against my skin was agony..

True they do have a lot of vaccinations and this illness for the most part is not that bad..

worse thing today I have just had a flu jab and took lauren to see the same nurse who did her mmr on tuesday. As soon as we walked in the door she screamed and screamed at her and was beside herself... perhaps take her only when is necessary

hectic mummy · #7 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 12:16

Maybe Susie will know a bit more about this?

x x x

Claire76 · #8 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 13:34

I think it's getting out of hand now though, do they really need to have a vaccine against this? They have to get some illnesses otherwise their bodies won't know how to kill off bad bugs etc. Their immunity needs to be built up, not protected against EVERY known illness possible!! Hmph! LOL!

rhianwen · #9 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 17:47

My poor daughter if she has to have it. katlin has been involved in trial jab of things such as smallpox typhoid etc because of the diseases that are being brought in she must be starting to feel like a pin cushion

logans_mum · #10 (**permalink**) 09-11-07, 20:11

I think it is routine here in Germany as well as MMR. I got hubby to ask the Doctor when we took Logie and he said there was no problem with it and every baby gets it! Logie got his MMR at 11 months & chicken pox jab a day after his 1st Birthday! No side effects so far! I had heard things about the MMR (but nothing about chicken pox) before we moved but as the Doctor was so adamant that there was no problem we decided to trust his judgement. Hopefully we weren't wrong!