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by JetSetWilly 468 days ago
You have it the opposite way round. The UK (for example) never gave a chickenpox vaccine because it reasoned to do so increases the risk of shingles, and shingles is more serious than chickenpox. Also chickenpox is so mild that administering a national vaccination programme is of dubious benefit, the money can be more effectively spent elsewhere.

The JCVI might have recently changed recommendation but whether it is worth the cost/benefit is another matter.
2 comments
lordnacho 468 days ago
That is surprising to me. Here's what I could glean:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/two-for-one-chick...

For me it was a no-brainer. For a small amount of money, I avoid the kid being bedridden for potentially weeks, and the kid avoids scarring from the disease. Even though it isn't going to kill the kid, it's still awful to be ill.

Shingles won't be a problem for a long time afterwards, and medicine will advance. There's already shingles vaccines.

So it was an easy decision to spend about 100 pounds on vaccinating each kid.

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secondcoming 468 days ago
Isn't scarring caused by scratching?

I remember parents wanted kids to get chickenpox as early as possible so they could put mittens on them so they wouldn't scratch themselves.

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lordnacho 468 days ago
> Isn't scarring caused by scratching?

I think so. Better not to let them be tempted by something like that.

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lol768 468 days ago
The latest JCVI recommendations are here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/childhood-varicel...

The shingles vaccination programme (for older adults) has existed since 2013.

The JCVI recommendation from 2023 took into account new evidence that had emerged since the original decision in 2009, using a new model to evaluate cost-effectiveness and better evaluate the impact on QALY from infection.

The original 2009 reasoning's decision is available here: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20130107105...

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