Anyone had chicken pox vaccine?

Not related to that other thread, been thinking about it as my eldest is now 3 and it’s that time.

I don’t know if I’ve had it. I’ve seen what it does in adults and I REALLY don’t want that.

I know it’s pretty harmless in kids but my friend’s boy had it really really bad. Some of the lesions became infected and he ended up on a drip in hospital. I know that’s an extreme case and I’m not basing it on that.

We don’t have the spare cash, it would go on the credit card but I’m starting to think it’s worth the investment.

I reckon you’ll have encountered chickenpox at some point in your adult life and built up immunity to it. I wouldn’t bother personally

I had for the first time at the age of 22. it was really unpleasant.

I was considering it for my son although my wife didn’t agree, but then he got it anyway. It wasn’t so bad in the end. camomile lotion was hopeless, virasooth (?) worked wonders.

I had it at 40 and it was truly, truly horrible. I caught it off my son who was 3 at the time and he seemed to shrug it off in a matter of days – I on the other hand was a gibbering, sweaty, itchy, spotty wreck of a human being for about 2 weeks and came close to being hospitalized.

As far as I know it’s pretty rare for it to be serious in kids – far better to get it when you are young.

Isn’t “adult chickenpox” what shingles is, or am I misremembering?

biggest inconvenience with my son was him having to be off nursery for a week.

Cougar – Moderator
Isn’t “adult chickenpox” what shingles is, or am I misremembering?

Shingles is a disease you can get in adulthood if you’ve previously been exposed to chickenpox.

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/shingles-herpes-zoster-leaflet

We gave it to our kids.
Eldest was 8 at the time, hadn’t had the pox yet so made the decision to vaccinate them both, for both personal and pragmatic reasons. No side effects, other than a sore arm for a day for one of the children after the first shot.
Two shots, separated by a few months. When we had them done there was a problem with vaccine production, such that the clinic had to ensure that they had enough vaccine in stock to cover both shots for the children before starting. Around £250 for each child for the treatment. Bargain.

EDIT: sorry, thought it was for your kid, just realised you were asking for it for yourself! What I’ve written is no help then.

For kids and me, I’m going to talk to the clinic in the week, I can’t see a good reason not to.

I got chicken pox aged 52, it wasn’t nice. 2 weeks off work, 1st week being somewhat vague as I was sleeping/knackered/sweating etc. I’ve got some pox scars (white holes, yes it is a bugger not to scratch) but they’re on my legs.

If I could go back in time and change one thing in life, it would be getting myself vaccinated against chicken pox. I caught it 18 months ago, and it was the worse thing that has ever happened to me – 18 months on it is still affecting my life in a major way.

I caught it off my 3 year old son. When I presented myself at the surgery with the telltale spots, the doctor said to rest up and take a week off work. I was off work for 2 months and was lucky to survive. It left me with extensive facial scarring, a deep-post viral depression, and hearing loss. I am now completely deaf in one ear, and am trying to cope with severe tinnitus.

My recommendation is to get the vaccine. Now. Tomorrow. ASAP. You don’t want what I had. Even if the vaccine only manages to reduce the symptoms, then it would be the best money you’ve ever spent. Trust me, I’m still living it.

My youngest has eczema, and we learned after the fact that there is an interaction with chicken pox.
She was 19 months old when the pox came to our house .Whilst the the eldest had 20 odd pustules, the youngest got it a week later and ended up like this. I counted about 2000 nasties and wasnt even half way.

She got septacmia and came within an hr or so of dying, she was on a drip for a day or so before she started to make her way back.
The hospital Dr’s were incredulous that we had not been offered the vaccine as soon as she had been diagnosed with eczema. I asked my doc and said they don’t offer vaccines as thy had too many complaints form fools who don’t want vaccines. I asked him there and then what else we could have, happy to pay, lets just get it done.

of many typo’s the worst is #septicemia

Toys – that’s horrible. The pox has landed at my house, eldest started with the spots about 2 weeks ago so had probably been harbouring it a week or so longer than that.

Middle boy is not showing any signs of it, but the 8 month old looks like he might be starting with it, though it’s uncommon in very young (<12 months) children as they have some acquired immunity from mum normally.

Worryingly, they all have or have had eczema like skin conditions too (like I did). We’ll have to keep a close eye on him! 🙁

Very surprised to hear they don’t offer it in this country. Back home we used to have “pox parties” where you’d take your kids round to the house of a kid who’d contracted it. Theory being better to catch it young.

Some adults did get it twice. They suffered pretty badly.

Oh Jesus look at that poor little thing. 😥

I’m enquiring tomorrow, I already suffer from post viral conditions, don’t need any more.

Our daughter had it at 3 and unlike her friends who got it at nursery at the same time had quite a lot of spots. I was on mumsnet looking at threads as soon as the first spot showed and would highly recommend the advice from other parents I found there. As soon as the spots start put them on liquid priton (assuming they have no medical reason not to take this) and continue this right the way through. The key seems to be start it early and keep with it. This and aloe Vera gel worked really well for us. She had loads of spots but limited scratching. Given how she looked she was much more comfortable than we expected. She also has a skin condition.

We were never offered a vaccine and didn’t know it was an option.

Back home we used to have “pox parties” where you’d take your kids round to the house of a kid who’d contracted it. Theory being better to catch it young.

Yeah. The US presumably? It’s a really bloody stupid and dangerous thing to do (and wholly unnecessary). Kids have died after pox parties.

I sincerely hope Andrew Wakefield’s balls turn square and rot at the corners.

Not from the US.

Only one person from my town in my school year has died so far out of over 200. But I think that was more to do with the bus that ran him over. I should probably add that we do get the vaccine. Means you get a milder form of the disease if you do catch it I think.

Anyway, even though I’m not living there anymore I’d still get my child vaccinated. Can’t hurt.