Chicken Pox Vaccination

[buliej]

This thread is very informative re: pro's/con's of the chicken pox vaccine (although I am confused now about whether to immunize against chicken pox as I believe in immunization/vaccinations generally but this thread has made me think twice about the CP vaccine). Many of the posters who generally vaccinate their children mention not vaccinating for rota virus - what are the pro's/con's to this one - for those of you who vax your children why put this in the exception pile?

[Fleur]

I'm finding this thread interesting, Pie is just past the 18mth mark & so far fully immunised; but I don't think we will be getting the CP vax. My older three kids have all had CP (the virus) - all one after the other over three weeks, at 7, 4 & 4mths. So it's just her we have to decide with.

We chose not to immunize against chicken pox as we felt that the vaccine has not seen sufficient testing, and that chicken pox, although unpleasant, was not life threatening.

This pretty much sums up my original thoughts on not wanting to vaccinate. And then the more we read about it, about the occurence of shingles, and the occurances or CP in vacced kids, I wonder why we would expose her to a relatively new vaccine, against a disease that is not life threatening, and may not offer full protection.

If we vaccinate now, she'll need a booster in high school anyway. So, I'm thinking we'll forgo the CP vaccine at 18 months and then reconsider it when she's older. The possibility of developing shingles later concerns me too.

And this is what I think too; if she doesn't contract it while she's young, she can have the vax later on.

Does anyone know, do we have to sign a CO form? What do we do if we don't want to get it? We usually get our vaccs through our GP, so I guess next time we go I will let him know we aren't getting it..and then what?

[Trillian]

It saves a lot of headaches if you do an official CO form and lodge it with the immunisation register (take it to medicare). I had one done or DS2 when he was due for his 12 month vaxes and lodged it with them. I was still able to get the maternity immunisation payment too. I always got them done by our GP too so he was fine when I asked him for a CO form to be signed. They also kept a copy of it too and I have had to take a copy to the preschool DS is going to as well so they know that he's not fully vaccinated. And if you change your mind later on and decide to do it, then you just start vaxing them again.

[ss_storm]

Yes you do have to sign the form Fleur, I did it just the other week for DD because she isn't getting the CP vaccine. Do it through your GP, and you just have to sign a form and listen to them explaining the 'risks' of not getting the vaccine.

The dr I had told me there is a risk of meningitis after contracting CP..don't know how true that is?? He said the normal stages of the vaccine are the rash, and then meningitis. Can't say i have ever heard that before, nor has it happened to any of the people I've known that have had CP.

For me, i jsut don't think it is a necessary vaccine, IMO the chances of her getting CP even if she has had the vaccine are fairly high anyway and it is relatively new, I'm pretty sure a vaccine for it wasn't around when I was a kid. My parents have never had it and my brothers or myself have never had it, even though we've been around other children that had it. So I don't know if we have a super special immunity to it in our family, or we were just lucky.

[Fleur]

I've never heard of meningitis as a 'normal' stage of CP... there may well be a risk but I would imagine it's a more rare complication?

DH & I both had it as kids, and as I said earlier all three of my older kids have had it, there was no CP vax around when they were younger. Nowhere did I ever hear of meningitis

When I caught it as a kid, was in grade 6 and it was going around - we all went around sharing as many germs as we could so that we could catch it & have a week or two off school

[Little Chicken]

It's not normal but it is a complication, though rare.

[BellyBelly]

Just my opinion. There was an outbreak with several children when Elijah was in 4 year old kinder. The kids were all vaccinated.

I spoke to someone (cant remember who, but a medical person, possibly the GP we got the objection form signed with) and was told they are even thinking of making the chicken pox vaccine an additional 1 or 2 doses to make it more effective as they realise there are problems with it.

It seems far too problematic and I would not get my kids done, but thats just my opinion. I am especially hesitant against vax that they just can't get right or haven't had enough testing.

I'm the eldest of 4 kids and we never had it bad at all. Very mild.

[turtleschell]

Awesome thread, it's certainly made up my mind NOT to get the CP vax. So unnecessary.
I'm concerned though that it will be hard for DD to get exposed to the virus, as vaccinating against it is quite common now, and we don't use daycare or anything.
We'll have to have CP parties.

[Fleur]

Awesome thread, it's certainly made up my mind NOT to get the CP vax. So unnecessary.
I'm concerned though that it will be hard for DD to get exposed to the virus, as vaccinating against it is quite common now, and we don't use daycare or anything.
We'll have to have CP parties.

Lol turtleschell. Pie is in daycare... there was a case there at the end of last year, in her room, and I assumed she'd pick it up. I was almost disappointed when she didn't because I thought at least it would be over & done with

[Aligater]

My DD1 got CP at 14 months so missed getting imunised (Id prefer natural anyway) I was expossed as a child but never got it but then at 23 had it really bad and was almost to the point of hospitalization. I havnt decided if I want DD2 to have it or not yet she is 13 months

[Dansta]

Awesome thread, it's certainly made up my mind NOT to get the CP vax. So unnecessary.
I'm concerned though that it will be hard for DD to get exposed to the virus, as vaccinating against it is quite common now, and we don't use daycare or anything.
We'll have to have CP parties.

DJ picked it up at 11 months. no day care used here. some one in the general public passed it on (yay LOL) so we didn't vax for it. Vic wont be getting vax'd for it. i'd rather go though it again then then vax and have it 'fail' as such. i vax against all others. and had a 'debate' with a women on FB i was once friends with. if Vic wants to vax himself for it when he's older he can. i myself dont see why its needed.i copped CP in kinder and didn't get it when my sister got it nor when DJ got it. so i think nature got it right

Ohh and when DJ had it i offered any one who wanted exposure to it was welcome to come over! but no one wanted to 'deal with it' lol.