CHICKENPOX

farmchoice

Well folks,
Our little lad 2 years and 4 months has the chicken pox. As of yet he only has the spots on his legs and he is a bit cranky but not too bad.

We went to the doctor and he gave him an antibiotic as he has a throat infection as well, and he gave us a prescription for a cream for when the spots get weepy.

I just wonder if anybody who has been through this has any advice or words of wisdom to impart.

ger vallely

Well farmchoice,chicken pox are best gotten over with at a young age. The old bath in breadsoda does seem to ease the itching.There's not much to it really, just try keep him from scratching,maybe put calomine lotion on during the day. Keep him nappy free(if he's still using one) as much as possible, the more air circulating the better. No acidic drinks,orange juice and the like will sting like crazy if he has them in his throat. It usually passes quickly enough without too much disturbance. Have fun!

Hannibal Smith

Be prepared for the itchiness. We got zirtex in the chemist which is an oral solution and we got aveeno oatmeal powder for the bath and call for the fever.

There is a good chance none of it did anything and we would have fared just as well with a cool bath and a bit of calpol...but I just felt I was doing something to help.

I stayed with him the night it was at its peak because the itchiness was pricing him nuts. All I could do was hold his hand and give him a few baths.

If he's still in a nappy that's going to drive him.mad so either leave the nappy off if you can or change it as often as he pees. Chicken pox led the way to potty training for us, so you never know your luck, it could be a blessing in disguise

Oh jees yea...calomine lotion! Can't believe I forgot that!

pwurple

Has anyone had the vaccine for this? There are PILES of kids around here with it at the moment, and I'd prefer her to get a vaccine rather than go through a bout of it. I know it's not a freebie, so just wondering is the the GP or the PHN I need to organise it through?

lonestargirl

I'm planning on getting the vaccine too pwurple. I posted a thread over in health sciences about it recently asking pharmacists how easily available it is. In summary you need:

• a prescription from your GP
• order in the pharmacy - most of them get daily deliveries so you won't have to wait for it
• cost €80-90
• it is stored in the fridge so you have to co-ordinate picking it up from the pharmacy and bringing it to your GP for administration.

bstar

i'm in canada and the vaccine is as standard so T will be getting it next month if she doesn't get the pox first. four of my nieces had it when we went home for her christening its been 2 weeks so I think she should be in the clear

JimsAlterEgo

bstar wrote: »

i'm in canada and the vaccine is as standard so T will be getting it next month if she doesn't get the pox first. four of my nieces had it when we went home for her christening its been 2 weeks so I think she should be in the clear

not yet, long incubation period

emc2

lonestargirl wrote: »

I'm planning on getting the vaccine too pwurple. I posted a thread over in health sciences about it recently asking pharmacists how easily available it is. In summary you need:

• a prescription from your GP
• order in the pharmacy - most of them get daily deliveries so you won't have to wait for it
• cost €80-90
• it is stored in the fridge so you have to co-ordinate picking it up from the pharmacy and bringing it to your GP for administration.

I was told by a nurse that it's 2 injections and they are €80 to €90 each...just to be aware.

pwurple

Cripes, 2 or 3 GP visits so, and 2 jabs. Yeah, that adds up alright. I wonder can we bundle another couple of vaccines in at the same time. Norovirus, or some of the tropical ones needed for travel.

I'll ask the pharmacist

bstar

i just checked our jab schedule and she gets it as one jab at 12months with her mmr and meningitis ones. so there is a 1 jab version of it.

Hannibal Smith

*stands on soap box*

I think it's terrible that there's a vaccine out there for chicken pox and you have to pay for it, when all the other vaccinations are free! Chicken pox shouldn't be a right of passage for a kid, it's an awful torment for them and it's not pleasant to watch them go through it when they can be vaccinated against it. It's not only the child, the incubation period is so long that the kid could be contagious for a long time before the spots appear, meaning they could be coming into contact with pregnant women or people of compromised immune systems. When my son had it my mother was having chemo, luckily we didn't see her for the 2 weeks prior to the spots breaking out, but imagine if she'd have caught it! It was bad enough that he'd passed it on to his brother who was only 8 weeks.

Anyhow rant over, wish I'd known there was a vaccine

bstar

I agree about the incubbation period my nieces spots came up in the pub after our christening when she was surrounded by kids so my bro in law's 2 that were with him got it and then he took it home with him and they have 5 girls and a newborn. I felt awful its doing the rounds of their house now.

Im still hoping t is fine cause she was breastfed for 6 weeks so hopefully has enough immunity for a while.

The reason they get it here is cause while most children are fine 10% have severe complications and they say its not worth the risk when there is a vaccine.

lonestargirl

bstar wrote: »

i just checked our jab schedule and she gets it as one jab at 12months with her mmr and meningitis ones. so there is a 1 jab version of it.

It is 2 jabs, one at 12-15 months and a second between 4-6 years old. So pwurple one would do you for now. I would ring your GP - they might write a script that you can collect and then just charge you for the administration visit?

bstar

I don't doubt its 2 in Ireland but its def 1 here. I have the schedule for all jabs til shes 16 here and its just the 1 for chickenpox at 12 months she gets here.

just saying she could enquire if theres anyway to get the 1shot version

lonestargirl

bstar wrote: »

I don't doubt its 2 in Ireland but its def 1 here. I have the schedule for all jabs til shes 16 here and its just the 1 for chickenpox at 12 months she gets here.

just saying she could enquire if theres anyway to get the 1shot version

There's only 1 licensed in Ireland (Varivax). Although looking at it on the FDA website it was studied in both 1 and 2 jab situations and there are 98% and 99% serum conversion for the respective arms.

dublinlady

Just as a side there are two new products available which are much better than calamine lotion - they are poxclin and virasoothe - both are applied to the pox and remove itch and help prevent scaring. Also not as messy!!