Would you?

It wasn't free and I did. Chicken pox is far more dangerous than the vaccine and you get the shingles with that too...

Both my kids had chicken pox and it was a very mild illness. I had it myself when I was 22 and it was like a smack in the face, exhausting, debilitating and weakening. Much better to have it when you are little and can be taken care of by your parents and then have the immunity for the rest of your life. Hardly anyone gets complications from chicken pox but I suppose there are always going to be exceptions as with most illnesses.

I have had chicken pox. It was not fun. It does not matter if you have had chicken pox or if you have the immunization, your risk of shingles later in life is the same. Also, you can get shingles even if you have never had chicken pox. Shingles is a different form of chicken pox. The virus/germs that cause chicken pox is exactly the same as the one that causes shingles. It sounds to me that the people who are opposing the immunization have not researched the disease very well. Perhaps, they should research it better and then make a decision.

For the most part, chicken pox is a normal childhood illness along with measles and mumps. I'd probably just forget the shot and let them get it if their going to. I had them when I was a kid and I lived through it so it's not that huge of a deal. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]

I remember when they came out with that vaccine and all the controversy surrounding it. I did not have my children inoculated and would not now if they hadn't had the chicken pox. The disease is not life threatening so I must assume that it is a natural part of life that kids go through. Polio and other life-changing diseases need vaccines, chicken pox doesn't. Now I hear there is a shingles vaccination for people who have had the chicken pox. I'm conflicted about that one. I don't want shingles but I don't trust the makers of vaccines.

well i have heard of everyone getting the chicken pox but maybe 2 people in my life that got shingles.. i think its worth the safety now not to mention adults getting chicken pox can be really serious.. but eh what do i know???

When my kids were little they didn't have immunization for chicken pox. They all had a mild case of them. When my grandchildren were 3 and 5 and the immunization first came out the nurse discouraged against them. I have since had the shingles so if to day i was given that choice I would have them immunized. The chance of getting the shingles is not worth it. I had them last summer and they still bother even though my Dr tells me mine was a mild case. I am told that there is an immunization for the shingles.

I can speak about the latest scare of swine flue jab that was so highly opposed in my country. The media made us scared about the swine flu as if it was going to be the end of the world last January. January has passed and I am still here typing on mylot. I did not bother to take the swine flu jab. When I asked the doctor about the vaccine he told me it is a bit risky to take it and unless you are at health risk which I am not it is better not to take it. I have followed his advice. A total of 90,366 persons have taken the H1N1 vaccine but another 242,000 doses remain available, Health Minister Joseph Cassar has said in Parliament. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100302/local/242-000-swine-flu-jabs-remain-unused

I had chicken pox when I was about 8 years old, and although I remember feeling pretty ill with it, I think that was my best innoculation. I am not sure that I believe in these innoculation unless the disease is very life-threatening and never have them myself. I did have polio and other life-threatening disease innoculations when I was a kid, but I am of the opinion that we are weakening our immune systems by giving innoculations for everything. _Derek

I have had the chicken pox and so have my children, none of us was vaccinated and we all turned out just fine. It was never a life threatening situation. I believe the best immunity comes from natural exposure. I don't see the issue, except that it should be up to the parents to decide for thier children, not the state. Here, if you haven't vaccinated your children for certain things, they will not admit them to school. And some have caused Autism.

It's too late for my children. They both had chicken pox when they were small with no lasting ill effects, and some of my grandchildren have had it too. If it had been available, I probably would have followed my doctor's/clinic's advice and had them done, poor souls. At that time of my life I was more likely to follow the herd than question things. Nowadays I think it's more common to be a questioner, but it certainly wasn't them.

Hi, I have to say I wouldn't bother. I too believe it is one of those childhood illness. Although uncomfortable, I had them, my eldest (12) had them & I also have a 2 year old, who I wouldn't get a jab for. I am facing the decision on another vaccination for the 2 year old that I am unsure of. The good though, far out ways the bad but it's still worrying. I say unless your child is high risk for any illness, don't get it, paid for or otherwise. But then I don't even take paracetamol for a headache so what do I know Have fun MrsL x x

I would rather them take their chances with the illness. I was probably immunised against it as a kid, but I got chicken pox as a 21 year old adult. It was not a pleasant experience, but not half as bad as what I am led to believe that shingles can be. If the kids can grow up and get through without getting in contact with chicken pox, then that is great. Why worry about the chances of them getting it and open them up to the chances of shingles later in life by injecting it into them?

If the serum is medically proven safe then what's the risk?

I am in two minds about this. I had chicken pox and so did all my children (in fact, we intentionally exposed them to it so that they would get it). It is uncomfortable while it lasts but not, I think, a serious disease though it can be slightly disfiguring which is sometimes a problem for girls, I suppose. If you have had chicken pox, the virus remains dormant in the body and can emerge as shingles later in life. My father had it and I know that it is very painful. If the inoculation can also induce shingles, then I don't really see the point of it but if I could be assured that the serum is really safer than having chicken pox, then perhaps I might consider it if it were offered. On the whole, since I have had the disease and my children did to, I would be inclined to say that the inoculation serves little purpose except, perhaps, to protect one from a mild inconvenience.

The shot is given to children here and has been for decades yet I still got the chicken pox when I was in 5th grade. My avatar has had the shot and a classmate got the pox last November and infected 3 other children in the class. But my baby wasn't one of them. So I think it doesn't matter if you have the shot or not, if you are exposed to someone infected you run a 50/50 chance of catching it. But even with that being said, I still insist my children get all shots the doctor prescribes.

Hi p1key, I always belive that let nature takes its course if its not life threatening, never did us any harm, but I cannot remember having chicken pox, only measles, and I do think its a waste of money to inoculate children for this, it only a little disformfort. Hugs. Tamara xxxx

I'm sceptical about immunizations in that I believe they carry significant risk to those it is given to. Thankfully it was not an issue for me when my son was growing up. He had chicken pox when he was in 1st grade. Most members of my extended family have had chicken pox, but out of 100+ relatives spanning 4 generations, only 2 have gotten shingles.

thanks for sharing, i was not aware of this

Hi there, I would not have my kid (if I have one) be immunized against chicken pox, Why? (please don't think I'm mad) The reason is that if you allow them to catch the pox they would have a lifetime immunity against it. Unlike immunization they do not get a 100% immunity against the virus. Immunization is only there to prevent but it does not mean your children would not have it, because there is always the chance they could have it. That's one common misconception about immunization. If your child has the chicken pox they are protected against catching shingles. Because the virus that causes shingles is almost the same as the one that causes the small pox. Studies revealed that most children who had chicken pox were protected against shingles.