The chicken pox vaccine

[Anya]

My daughter is going to have her chicken pox vaccine tomorrow. I heard that in the US and Canada it is routine to have the vaccination whilst here in England it is not available unless you go private. Put it this way I had never even heard of a Chicken pox vaccine until this year when I decided to give my daughter private health care because there was no way I would let her have the three in one (MMR) jab.

I think I am getting a little nervous about tomorrow, probably because I don't know anyone who has had this injection over here. It seems like the chicken pox jab has definite benefits but its one thing to read about it and another to ask people who have had the immunisation themselves so can any of you give me any insight to this? Were you/your children ok afterwards?

[Shakyshaky]

All my kids have had it. They are fine. You have to have it in Fl or your kids can't go to school or daycare. I am not sure about other states. If I had the choice I would not have had it done. They have not done enough research in my opinion. I am not trying to talk you out of it. Your doctor should have some pamphlets you can read.

[havanaholly]

there was no way I would let her have the three in one (MMR) jab.

Why not? It certainly beats having to stab the poor child once for each separate vaccination, and it takes a series of three MMRs to confer >96% immunity. I'm a retired public health nurse and I worked directly in the public schools. at the time of my retirement, in order to attend school in FL all children are required to have completed their MMR series (3 + a measles booster to enter 7th grade), DTP (unless there's an allergy to one of the components in the pertussis vaccine (2 or 3), killed polio vaccine (3 or 4) and hepatitis B vaccine (3), in addition to the varicella vaccine. Actually almost all of them are required for pre-K entry here. The measles epidemic in the 80s started the requirement, so many more children died from it then.

I wish there had been a varicella vaccine available when my sons were little, nursing them through the chickenpox tore my heart out, they were SO miserable! One of the teachers at one of my schools came down with them and she was home sick for a month and still felt terrible when she returned to work. Also chickenpox can recur, either in the pustular rash or in CNS lesions ("shingles"). All in all I think the varicella vaccine is preferable to putting a child through a hard case of full-blown chickenpox, but that's jmho.

I have a very hard time with the hep B requirement, the child is required to have the series of three shots, but NOT the follow-up bloodwork to make sure they have developed the necessary antibodies, and that (as well as HIV) is why all healthcare workers use universal precautions (treat ALL patients as potentially infectious).

[Annette]

Both of my kids got it last year with no ill effects, so I don't think it's anything to really worry about. But if it is bothering you that much just talk to your doctor to get more information about it before they give it to her.

[Minis On The Edge]

Both of my daughters had the shot and my son had the chicken pox when he was 4 and it was hard on him. I had the Chicken pox 2 weeks before my 8th grade graduation and I had a serious case of it (Which they say happens the older you are when you get it) I had them EVERYWHERE even down my throat and other places I won't mention.

I rather them have the shot than the chicken pox. When Rachel the shot, she was 5 years old and she ran a low grade fever but was fine by the next day. I ran a fever for 7 days when I had the chicken pox and it was high enough for me to be seen by the doctor

I say go with your gut feelings though. I have one friend who has a son Sarah's age and he started having seizures after his 2nd round of baby shots and it was brought on because of them so he never got any more after that and I think the family sued the state for mandating it.

[havanaholly]

That's interesting. In FL if a child has an adverse reaction to any vaccine or the parent has any objection (or the child's immune system is compromised, as one of "my" children who had had a major organ transplant) there's a place on the immunization certificate for the doctor to exempt the child from that/ those vaccines. What it means is that if there's a case of a vaccine-preventable disease at the child's school, that child is to be sent & kept home until the incubations period is past & no further outbreaks.

I did notice once the varicella vaccine was required we had markedly fewer missed days of school due to illness in all our schools.

[Minis On The Edge]

Holly, she had to get excussed from the board of health and they gave her a hard time because they would rather everyone have the shot I guess. Of course, it was not there son sick and he had been healthy prior to that .

I agree that if your child is healthy let them get it. Minor pain is nothing compared to the illness they could get from not having it.

[Color Me Holly]

All of my girls have had the vaccine. I also did a speech regarding the history and use of the vaccine in my college speech class.

It takes about 17 days for the vaccine to become effective according to the peditrician.

There is no booster(re-vaccinate) requirement.

Some children do have a light case of chicken pox from the vaccine, not very common. Low grade fever, mild swelling at the injection site.

Children and Adults require two shots 4 weeks apart.

Sheridan and Ella haven't had any side effects from the getting it. The state of Idaho recommends the shot be given at 1 year. Since my kids weren't in daycare I was able to hold off getting the shot till they were two.

Alysia and Mabyn got the vaccine when it first came out. I wanted them to have it because I hadn't had them. We all got vaccinated, unfortunatley we had all been exposed prior to getting the vaccination. We all broke out 3 days after the shots and it definatley wasn't a side effect. The viral incubation period is 10-21 days. I was 22 and extremely misrable. My doctor treated me with a herpes medication and it stopped the rash and all other symptoms at 5 days.

IMO, the vaccine is a good thing. The CDC website has some good information about the vaccine.

[Anya]

Why not? It certainly beats having to stab the poor child once for each separate vaccination, and it takes a series of three MMRs to confer >96% immunity. I'm a retired public health nurse and I worked directly in the public schools. at the time of my retirement, in order to attend school in FL all children are required to have completed their MMR series (3 + a measles booster to enter 7th grade), DTP (unless there's an allergy to one of the components in the pertussis vaccine (2 or 3), killed polio vaccine (3 or 4) and hepatitis B vaccine (3), in addition to the varicella vaccine. Actually almost all of them are required for pre-K entry here. The measles epidemic in the 80s started the requirement, so many more children died from it then.

I wish there had been a varicella vaccine available when my sons were little, nursing them through the chickenpox tore my heart out, they were SO miserable! One of the teachers at one of my schools came down with them and she was home sick for a month and still felt terrible when she returned to work. Also chickenpox can recur, either in the pustular rash or in CNS lesions ("shingles"). All in all I think the varicella vaccine is preferable to putting a child through a hard case of full-blown chickenpox, but that's jmho.

I have a very hard time with the hep B requirement, the child is required to have the series of three shots, but NOT the follow-up bloodwork to make sure they have developed the necessary antibodies, and that (as well as HIV) is why all healthcare workers use universal precautions (treat ALL patients as potentially infectious).

I'd never give my daughter the MMR due to the link with Autism. On my husbands side of the family and my own we both have high cases of Asprergers syndrome (a form of autism) and I think Autumn is more at risk than a child without any history of Autism/Aspergers in the family.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

[havanaholly]

Of course the final decision is up to each parent but a doctor who knows the family's health history wouldn't give those vaccines which are contraindicated, hopefully!

Do check the CDC site, the MMR vaccine manufactured by Merck was linked to autism at one time, but has since been reformulated.

The immunization requirement is one of those ethical "gray" areas for me, the "greater good" vs individual rights... with the logical benefit of health protection. Good on you, Anya, for getting your child the specific protections that will benefit her maximally.

[heidiiiii]

I wish they had it available to my daughters but they got the chicken pox before it came out. There is nothing worse then having a 5 yr old and 18 mon old with the pox at the same time.. :lol:

I would have let them have it. My dh had pox when he was 19 yrs old and he was utterly miserable for weeks!

We called our strain Turkey Pox though.

The first eruption showed up on Chels on Thanksgiving day! :lol:

[abbie001]

Theres a chicken pox jab? I managed to get chicken pox wen we were on holiday wen i was 5, my parents deliberatly left my sister (a baby at the time) near me so she would catch it wen she was young so its less serious, though knowing my luck with illness im bound to get it again eek horrid thought

[Anya]

Well Autumn had the injection this afternoon and she's doing fine.

Havanaholly over here in the UK the MMR jab is greatly feared. There were/are so many parents who opt out of giving their child the MMR that we had a measles epidemic not so long ago in the schools but I cannot say I blame the parents. The problem is that the government and health officials deliberately tell the public that it is impossible to find a clinic who will do seperate measles, mumps and rubella injections but that is just not true. I went to a specialist who told me that I'd never be able to find a clinic that would do seperate jabs and that I would be wasting my time and risking my daughters health. I have no idea why they are trying to push MMR over here. My husband's brother had MMR and now has full blown autism. His parents said that as soon as he had had the injection he started acting very oddly and now at the age of 32 he is still dependant on his father.

[havanaholly]

You're absolutely right on about the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines being available separately, and the autism risk is why supposedly Merck (the US manufacturer) reformulated the measles component of the vaccine to remove the preservative that was linked with the autism. You're going to love this, then; as of a few years ago the MMR vaccine was combined with the DTP for two of the infant series of injections and I think one of the drug companies was trying to find a way to add hepB to the mix...

I can think of safety issues pro & con doing this, but in the end I'm most interested in ALL children receiving all the vaccines their medical situation will permit, in whatever dosing format is safest for them.

[heidiiiii]

I am sooooo glad I dont have to worry about this anymore! :lol:

I really dont think they should be mixing all these vaccine cocktails. How do they know that the intermingling wont cause a problem? And if there is a problem, how are they going to know which vaccine it is?

Nat just got the last of her Hep shots early this year.