The Mock Turtle

I think I’m going to vaccinate Pete and Neil against chicken pox. I wasn’t going to for ages but it seems weird to make them potentially suffer unnecessarily. Also you never know how mild or bad it could be, do you? I’ve been swithering for ages but must admit that Ruby’s colleague’s story made me want to get it done.

I remember looking at it when it came up on TMT (the only place I’ve ever heard of it), baulking at the cost for two and doing nothing, and now they’ve had it since. Least helpful post ever.

Kenickie wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 2:58 am Oh, you mean chickenpox make you feel suicidal not the vaccine!

Yes! Sorry, I don't want to cause alarm about the vaccine! I didn't have the vaccine.

My friend's son had the vaccine as a public health matter when he was a toddler - he's now 15 - as did all of his peers as there was a strong strain going around that year in the area. Nothing adverse to report with that.

Older Nephew had it quite badly when he got it. And then got it again a while later (as did two of his cousins), and the younger one got it a couple of days before they were due to go on holiday so she had to delay and fly out a bit later with him. She really wishes she'd had them vaccinated

I was going to get J vaccinated, but there was a shortage when I tried to book the appointment, and totally forgot about it until now! So yes I would and I need to look into it for both of them now.

Thinking about it some more, Chunk was under 1 when he had it, while I was still breastfeeding him, and it was incredibly mild. Only about 5 spots. I’ve lived in fear for years that he’d get it again, but he hasn’t so hopefully he has enough immunity.

How did you prove they’ve had CP, Olive?

I genuinely got head tilting when I said G had had chickenpox. It's not even on the radar - like smallpox!

I had my CP immunity tested by blood test when I was pregnant with J, Pip. I’m not sure there’s any other way to “proove” it.

I wish I’d had mine vaccinated. They both had it very badly and as well as being incredibly unwell at the time, they also have permanent scarring, G’s is very noticeable on his back and torso particularly. I had no idea it could be so severe in young children, i always bought the line that it was better to get it over with and would be mild. I guess it was mild in as much as they didn’t need hospitalisation but otherwise if that’s mild then I certainly wouldn’t ever want to see a serious illness!

My friend's son ended up in A&E with CP as he had it so badly - he had the spots everywhere, including inside his mouth and throat.

My friend also had it as an adult when her children had it and she said (as an adult) it's the most ill she's ever felt. If we hadn't had E vaccinated last year because of NZ, I would definitely have got her done if she hadn't had it by mid-primary to prevent her getting it as a teen/ adult.

MrE has a bad case as a child and his tongue is scarred (and very weird) as a result. I do find the differences in vaccination schedules in first world countries interesting. Why do we give it here but not (for free at a set time) in the U.K.?

I didn’t even know there was a vaccine for it. S had it quite bad when we first moved here so just coming up to 3. She was absolutely covered poor kid even up her nose and in her bum.

My biggest fear at the time was the day before all the spots came out we’d spent the entire day with my pregnant cousin, I can still remember my horror when I undressed S next morning and saw all the spots and realised. Thankfully neither suffered any lasting effects and her baby is now a strapping four year old.

So given my time again I’d have the vaccine I think.

Estrella wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:32 am MrE has a bad case as a child and his tongue is scarred (and very weird) as a result. I do find the differences in vaccination schedules in first world countries interesting. Why do we give it here but not (for free at a set time) in the U.K.?

It really is. It can be fatal in extreme cases, and the scarring can be significant. Given the vaccine has been used in other places for so long and the 'risk of shingles' doesn't seem to have materialised, it really should be something we start doing as standard.

T caught it while I was dithering about paying for a private vaccine. He has two tiny scars around his eyebrow that, most likely, only I can really tell. A must have caught the briefest whiff of it - she got barely three spots which faded in a day. I am unsure if it will have given her immunity but she's not caught it since. If she gets to her teens I might see if there's an antibody test or something that can detect if she might need it before adulthood, where it can be utterly grim.

But yeah, we should just give it. So many haven't even heard there's a vaccine.

I had an immunity blood test same as Est as I was exposed when pregnant with T. It really shocked the midwife as they were all adamant that I must have had it as a child given how many times I’d been exposed. I had assumed that too although my mum has always been adamant that I didn’t catch it.

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 9:29 am How did you prove they’ve had CP, Olive?

I just told them that the boys had it and both have scarring consistent with it too. Come to think of the the doctor said he’d check their medical notes which were transferred from the UK but I don’t remember taking them to the doctor so maybe they did a blood test? God knows we have been tested for absolutely everything in the past 3 years.

They did recommend that M have the vaccine again as he was so young.

The nurse who was inputting the vaccination records from our red book basically said that the dates didn't exist! (it was as if she had no idea other countries record dates the other way round !)

I‘ve had to explain that more than once too, Emma!

olive wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 3:37 pm I had an immunity blood test same as Est as I was exposed when pregnant with T. It really shocked the midwife as they were all adamant that I must have had it as a child given how many times I’d been exposed. I had assumed that too although my mum has always been adamant that I didn’t catch it.

D's sister had to get the same and she discovered she had immunity to it too, even though their mum says neither have had CP. I do wonder if D has immunity too.

I wish I'd been vaccinated, I had it badly when I was wee and have several pretty obvious scars. I don't think it was an option in the 80s though? I've also seen some really nasty cases on the kids my mum used to look after. I never really understood why it was considered a harmless thing by so many people. Obviously the severity varies from person to person but I think if I had a baby I'd have them vaccinated because I'd prefer they skipped getting chicken pox altogether, just in case.

I’m finding opinions on this really interesting. One of the first things we discussed after agreeing on getting Hop vaccinated was whether we should just not tell anyone, even close family. I just assume people will think we’re overprotective and faddy, and can’t be bothered listening to a billion stories of everyone gets it and it’s fine, YOU had it and you came to no harm, kids need exposure to things blah blah.

Obviously we are in a bubble here though ;) so I’m still more on the side of just keeping it to ourselves.

It's no one's business but your own.

I caught measles, rubella, chicken pox and whooping cough so I say vaccinate! Although I was vaccinated with whooping cough as a child.