I guess it is a vaccine with no future because, for the last 30/40 years, every child has been routinely vaccinated against Measles, Mumps, Chicken Pox and Rubella. It’s a Brave New World.
No, chicken pox vaccine has only been routinely offered for about 15 years and it wasnt on on funded schedule of all countries for all that time.
I have had Zostavax, the previous shingles vaccine. ( my employer provided it, I was under the funded age group)
The newer Shingrix has just recently been added to funded schedule in Australia - all people over 65 and some younger people with high risk medical factors
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Vaccines for this, vaccines for that, at this age, it’s getting tricky to guess what is actually going to take you out. 
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I don’t think that is correct my kids are all in their mid/late thirties and had all those vaccinations when they were at school. I used to have their childhood vaccination books but gave them to them a few years ago so I can’t look it up
Edit:
No, sorry, you might be right, I found this (it turns out I still have youngest child’s book)
It isn’t what takes me out that worries me, Spitty - it’s what makes my life a misery whilst I am still alive that I want to try to avoid!
So far, the only thing that has brought me down was that damned Covid - I’ve only just shaken off the long-term effects of that after nearly 4 years - and having seen what my brother and two sisters suffered with Shingles, I’d welcome taking the vaccine to avoid the pain and side-effects they went through.
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Bruce - I dont know everything about all topics but vaccination is an area I have worked i n for several decades.
I am right about this.
: Varicella vaccine has been available in Australia since 1999 and, since November 2005, has been funded under the National Immunisation Program for use in all children as a single dose at 18
months of age and in a school-based catch-up program at 10-13 years of age.
an old article but the historical information has obviously not changed
and I don’t think it is funded childhood vaccine in UK, even now.
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No, it is not part of the funded vaccination programme for children in U.K. - but the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) have recently recommended that it should be added to the programme, on the same kind of schedule that you have just outlined, @July
The JCVI had previously ruled out a vaccination programme but results of a long-term study in USA has provided information that changed their decision.
The announcement about the JCVI recommendation was only made in November 2023 and it was awaiting approval by the Government Health Ministers, so I don’t know how much further along they’ve got with it since then.
For now, the vaccination is only available from NHS for free for people who are in close contact with someone who would be particularly vulnerable to chickenpox or its complications.
A number of pharmacies offer the vaccination as a private service.
I noticed the price they charge for chicken pox vaccination ranges between £130 - &150 (£65 -£75 per dose)
I was looking at prices they charge for the Shingles vaccine and that is much more expensive, ranging between £400 - £450 (£200 - £225 per dose)
I wonder why there is such a huge difference in price between the two vaccines - is the shingles vaccine a more recent development or a different type?
I wasn’t sure if I needed my Shingles vaccine so I took the titer test for it and it turned out i don’t need it at them moment but will in a few years.
I ordered the Titer test here for Americans:
Varicella Titer Test Near Me | Chickenpox Titer Test | Request A Test
I see that is a temporary catch up because of the pandemic. My understanding was that they do not recommend vaccinating children against chicken pox in the UK because the immunity only lasts for so many years. After that they can get more seriously ill if they catch it as young adults or later.
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It’s quite spooky that the week we are discussing the shingles vaccine, one of my closest friends has developed shingles. She is too young for the vaccine.
I remember that we used to have chicken pox parties Annie. If a child caught chicken pox all the neighbours would take their kids round to catch it. Although I had chicken pox as a young’n I didn’t catch it from a party. It was that sexy Margaret Broadbent… 
I did get shingles in 2009 though, I was working as a postman at the time and My mum died, and Mrs Fox had a serious road accident on her bike. I was looking after my Dad and visiting Mrs Fox every afternoon after I’d finished my walk. It was a very stressful time and I had to work through it. I was allowed time off for my mums funeral but Mrs Fox was still in hospital and apart from My dad and daughter nobody else came. The doctor prescribed 400mg Ibuprofen and they kept me going. Tough time though. I would never have the shingles jab though, or the covid jab and so far survived them both…
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You do have lifetime immunity if you catch it, although of course it can surface as shingles. Sorry about your horrendous time in 2009.
I had chicken pox aged 6 OGF. I remember this timeline because I was very upset not to be in a school play I had been rehearsing for. It was also a shame because I was meant to play with my parents’ friends’ daughter who was 3 years older than me and lived around the corner the afternoon after I was diagnosed. Because of the pox we didn’t become friends for another 12 years. She went off to boarding school and then we didn’t see each other. We have been great friends ever since we did eventually have a chance to meet but I regret that we weren’t closer during childhood. Dratted pox!
I also remember the horrible GP examination by some stranger locum doctor who pulled my knicker elastic to see how far the rash went. It was all down my back so I wasn’t scarred through scratching like some children.
As for the vaccine I am not sure what to say. There are people who are at great risk of shingles complications. There are also people who develop shingles in their eye and that is very dangerous. They vaccinate to try to keep elderly vulnerable people out of hospital. But I fully understand that people do have worries about vaccines. I had a particularly bad reaction to the first covid vaccine. I then had 3 more and after stopping the vaccines in the last 2 years I had a severe bout of Covid in Nov/Dec which I still feel I am recovering from. Bit breathless now and then, still get tired. It’s all very annoying.
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Thanks Annie it was a torrid time, and Dad passed away the same year in August. Mrs Fox is still limited after injuries she received during her accident, but we are still here… 
I’m sorry to hear you are still getting over covid and hope you end up making a full recovery.
You know my feelings on the modern vaccines, but I would never advise anyone not to have them if they trust them, and after all, we are all different.
Glad to hear that you eventually met your parents friends daughter and that your friendship blossomed in later years. Good friends are hard to come by.
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I am not sure about that. Most live vaccines do give long lasting immunity.
at any rate the incidence of chicken pox in Australia has plummetted since introduction of the vaccine.as you can see on graph in this link https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/30dc6fcd-352f-41b9-9e2f-4b4055630f39/aihw-phe-236_chickenpox.pdf.aspx
It is possible incidence is under reported due to mild cases not being recognised by parents as CP or not seeking medical help - but obviously reducing disease severity to that mild is also a gain
I’ve had it, a while ago now, it’s a one off I think. You don’t need any other.
So I had a look around and it turns out that the real reason they don’t vaccinate in the UK is because being exposed to Chicken pox infected children reduces the likelihood of Shingles emerging in adults, because such exposure triggers the immune response which then boosts your protection. Apparently some studies have disproved this theory and that’s why the vaccine is now being pushed. It’s a balance I guess between the risk of childhood chicken pox and the risks and hospitalisations of adult shingles. So now they are looking at vaccinating both cohorts and have increased the groups who can receive the shingles vaccine. This is on the basis of a study from the US.
Extract from the .gov link Boot posted earlier :
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The original vaccine was one dose. The new Shingrix vaccine is two doses.
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Was told one off when I had it done.
Tiffany if you had Zostavax that was a single vaccine.
The newer shingles vaccine Shingrix is 2 doses at least 2 months apart.
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Don’t know which one, but guess it was that one, it was a while ago.