I have not regretted at all having both my kids vaccinated and would highly recommend it after going through my husband being terribly ill with chicken pox as an adult and me just not wanting to put my children through a completely preventable disease. I believe that in order for the NHS to offer the vaccination there has to be a number of factors considered including: cost, benefit, mortality rates, risks (like the risk of development of shingles later in life) etc.. My understanding is that it is still not clear that children who are vaccinated will get shingles later in life as they have not been able to complete full studies yet since the vaccine is relatively new. There is also a vaccination which is available to prevent shingles given to the elderly which has good success so I believe some countries who currently offer the chicken pox vaccine are either already offering the shingle vaccine or will do. Interestingly, the shingles vaccine is already offered to people over 65 in the UK.

Was a definite for us. I vaccinated both.
As last poster says, risk is very tiny for serious complications from chicken pox but it happens. The main reason it's not offered here is down to the fact that uptake since MMR scare took so long they decided to not add yet another vaccine in and cause more anxiety- plus it is additional cost.
Australia and US plus other European countries all vaccinate.
Practically the cost of the vaccine versus the cost of taking a week off work and paying for nursery fees or cancelling a holiday etc cancelled out the cost of the vaccine.
Also it can be a very miserable illness for little ones and in most cases not too serious but it can cause scars etc
So Many reasons to vaccinate in my opinion!

I have 4 kids, and the 3 oldest were vaccinated (we were in the States) while the youngest not. When no.4 was in reception it of course spread through the class. She got it, the others didn't. The most miserable thing I've gone through with any of my kids, even worse than the night that all four of them vomited all night.

Two thoughts: 1. It is way better to NOT get it! 2. You are not immune for life. Ever heard of shingles?

The docs here are very defensive, for some reason, about the fact that the UK doesn't automatically offer the vaccine on the NHS. People and children do die from chicken pox, even if it is a low number. Look at the numbers of deaths and serious consequences resulting from chicken pox and how the number has gone down in the US since the introduction of the vaccine.

NHS Direct says: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinatio ... eeded.aspx

Can't remember specifically if our children have had it (now 5 and 6), but I would imagine not, based on this advice.

Our DS had the jabs when he was one & 1 and a 1/4 I think (there are 2) as I was told that having chickenpox as a child doens't stop you from getting it again as a adult whereas the jab does prevent it.

I went to the travel clinic above the GP practice on Garratt Lane.

Hi Mums, I would like to seek your advice on Chicken Pox vaccination. . I was planning to get my daughter vaccinated this week and had a chat with the director of a travel clinical. She told me that she hadn't got her son vaccinated for chicken pox, the reason is that the baby has been vaccinated for various virus in the first three years, more importantly, once they have the chicken pox, they will immune for life time, but if they are vaccinated, there is a chance that they would have it in adulthood which could be quite severe and nasty. What is your thought?