Daogroupie wrote:
I had chicken pox twice when I was in primary school.
The second time was much worse.
It impacted all my back teeth and I had to have them all taken out.
While living in America I was surprised to discover that they had a chicken pox vaccine and we don't. DG
Many parents are getting this privately now.
It's not in the NHS vaccine programme because
1) the costs are not thought to be worthwhile as the risks of chicken pox (though they can be individually very significant and in some cases devastating - and fatal) are relatively low on a population basis
And
2) the resistance of parents to new vaccines bring added to the programme means that vaccines against eg meningitis are thought to be less contentious.
But the main reason is the cost Vs benefit argument.
Interestingly most medical parents I know with young children have had the c pox vaccine privately - partly at least to minimise their own time off work...