Chicken Pox Vaccine - I didn't know there was one!

[snookhams]

I have just been reading this thread on the Community board about a vaccine against Chicken Pox, that is compulsory for children to have before being allowed to go to some schools in the USA, am I the only one who did not know there was such a vaccine! Is it ever offered to anyone here in the UK, I am particularly interested as I had shingles 6 months ago and I am still recovering I despair of my leg ever being the same again, I was always of the opinion that it was best for my Children to get CP whilst little to get it over and done with as I was 17 when I had it, but if they had a vaccine against it it would prevent them catching Shingles. This is just speculation really as both the boys have had CP, but after suffering the pain etc of Shingles I would not want anyone to suffer that.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

I'd not heard about this either. According to the NHS Direct website the vaccine is not licensed for use in the UK. Info here.

Regards

Rob

 

[Olaf]

The vaccine has been available over here for about 8 years (I think). I really didn't want to do it, but as you stated, it was required for school. I did some research at the time and found that the vaccine had been given in Europe for a number of years with few problems. There is a question as to whether or not my son will require a boster shot sometime in the future. My girlfriend's daugther came down with a very mild case of the chicken pox about a year after receiving the vaccine.

Your question about shingles is a good one and I'm concerned about that myself. My father suffered a particularly bad outbreak of shingles on his back and my Doc says that doesn't bode well for me. Here are a few links, but they don't really address what the vaccine might do further down the line with regards to shingles--they probably don't know yet.

Shingles

Chicken Pox Vaccine