The Chickenpox Vaccine

I'm against giving it to kids. Why? Because the chickenpox just isn't that bad for kids, and once they get it, they have perfect, lifetime immunity from the disease.

For adults, especially pregnant women, however, chickenpox can be extremely dangerous--fatal even. And we don't really know if the vaccine provides lifetime immunity. Researchers theorize it does, but no one was getting it fifty years ago, so we don't have the benefit of hindsight. No one knows for sure. We could, in theory, have a generation of adults who are vulnerable to chickenpox. Surely that's worse than a bunch of kids getting it.

To me the perfect plan is to hope your kid gets a mild case of chickenpox at some point, and if they don't, then give them the vaccine some time in the teen years. So that is why we asked our doctor not to give the vaccine to our 18-month old. The state requires it by the time she goes to school, but we were hoping she have already had chickenpox by then.

But today, the doctor's office made a mistake of some kind, and they gave it to her! They did so without our knowledge, and after we had explicitly said we didn't want them to do that on a previous visit.

I'm a little shocked and pissed off about it. No, it's not the biggest deal in the world. A lot of people love their kids getting this vaccine. Most likely it won't it will harm her in any way.

But as long as we are acting within the law, I absolutely think my wife and I should get to make those decisions--and if ever anyone at the doctor's office is unsure, they should double-check! And just imagine if in a few years they find the vaccine doesn't give lifetime immunity. What a disservice and hassle.

Also, one last bit of rant: even though it was clearly a mistake, you can bet we won't be getting an apology. Why? Because malpractice insurers tell health care professionals never to apologize for anything--it's an admission of guilt and useable in court. That's kind of sad. The truth is there's no chance I'd sue the doctor in this case, and an apology would make me feel better about them than ever. But as it is, I feel a little betrayed.