[A.R]

Folks, I couldn't find a thread on this topic, hence starting one.

My son's chicken pox vaccine is due and apparently Bangalore hospitals I checked at have no stock. Pharmacy shops claim distributors haven't received any from manufacturers (GSK for example) and this is for past two months.

Any pointers to a hospital where Chicken Pox vaccine would be available please? Even if its in a different city/town in south India, I don't mind travelling.

Why am I so paranoid? My son needs to travel to his grandparents house this Dec where one of the kids was infected a couple of months ago.

Thanks in advance.

[CRV2010]

same here, We are unable to get the Chicken Pox Vaccination done to my kid which was due last month. I have been told that there is no supply of Vaccine from many days throughout India.

[bblost]

My son was due for this vaccination last month. Same story in Hyderabad as well.

I checked quite a few places but they were all out of stock.

No one had any answers on when it would be available.

[comfortablynumb]

Same situation in Pune. My daughter's vaccination is due in Jan 2015, but the pediatrician was not confident of the vaccine being available even then!

Cheers,
Vikram

[pratyush6]

This is a sorry state of affairs. I am amazed - what do these guys think, we need to stock up on vaccinations as well?
Last month my daughter needed to get a Flu vaccine - I was told, I need to check a month later and it is ok - Now I am paranoid about this.

[latentpotential]

1. Try contacting Cloud9

2. We have been advised against the CP vaccine by multiple doctors, and have been told that CP is not a bad thing. The vaccine lasts in effect for a few years only, and the child remains somewhat susceptible to CP especially in the teens and adult ages.

3. A child who gets CP will remain immune to CP throughout adulthood.

Similarly, FLU vaccine is also a temporary thing and remains in effect only during childhood for only a few types of flu. Your kid can still get flu of another type.

[escaflowne]

Originally Posted by latentpotential

1. Try contacting Cloud9

2. We have been advised against the CP vaccine by multiple doctors, and have been told that CP is not a bad thing. The vaccine lasts in effect for a few years only, and the child remains somewhat susceptible to CP especially in the teens and adult ages.

3. A child who gets CP will remain immune to CP throughout adulthood.

Similarly, FLU vaccine is also a temporary thing and remains in effect only during childhood for only a few types of flu. Your kid can still get flu of another type.

I disagree. Child's immunity is not fully developed until they are 5 Years. So it is very important to protect them. These vaccinations do help a lot. Imagine 1 or 2 year old, who have not developed communication skills getting CP or any flu with the teenager getting same.

[i_see]

Chicken Pox vaccine is a controversial vaccine as it does not give life-long immunity against the virus. It has been found to give immunity for few (10-15? i need to consult my text books again).
On the the other hand, one infection with the virus gives life long immunity

Also, the younger the age, lesser is the severity of chickenpox. chicken pox infection in an adult is always more severe & is associated with more complications than with childhood infections.

[venuvedam]

Thank God it is just Chicken Pox virus but I shudder at the thought such things happening to the more important vaccines such as BCG, MMR, Hepatitis etc. My 2 year old has a vaccine due next week. Fingers crossed.

[bnzjon]

Same story in Chennai as well.
None of the hospitals in Chennai has Chicken pox vaccine for the last 3 months.

[Soumyajit9]

My son's vcaccination was due in October. The doc at Apollo Hospital, who also runs a private clinic near our house said there wasn't any stock as of now, anywhere in Bangalore.

Worse, she said that new stock is expected not before March 2015.

She asked us to be watchful and very careful. Would request you all to be careful too.

[sajusherief]

But, what's the real reason for this shortage? This could also lead to the plentiful availability of duplicate CP vaccine.

[jkdas]

Never took one; none in my family or any I know. I dont think this is a must take injection. This a new 'in' thing to take
Do check with your doctor though. My 2 paise.

1+ i_see ; i have the same opinion.

[mroptimist]

I remember when we were kids we used to miss school for few weeks after getting these type of infections. In those days missing school for a few weeks was okay.

Now a days in this competitive world kids have lost their real childhood. Many things are promoted and / or treated based on only this belief.

Chicken pox vaccine, rotavirus vaccine, tonisillectomy all these fall under the same category i.e we treat these/ prevent because our poor kids can't miss school for few weeks.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by sajusherief

But, what's the real reason for this shortage? This could also lead to the plentiful availability of duplicate CP vaccine.

you can thank one mr. chidambaram for it.

Funding was stopped for 3 govt owned vaccine manufacturers and it was forced to shut down.

1. Pasteur Insitute of India (Connoor)
2. Central Research Institute (Kasauli)
3. BCG vaccine laboratory

These were closed in 2008 and re-opened in 2010 when pvt players started indulging in price manipulation. But after reopening these 3 have been operating at snail's pace.

As a result budget of vaccine's have gone out of control and not all vaccines are being stocked.