The mother of a toddler in the United Kingdom who experienced what has been dubbed as the worst case of chicken pox is calling on the National Health Service to give free vaccination against the disease. Current health policy limits the vaccine to certain children based on medical grounds.
"We are one of the only countries who do not routinely vaccinate against chickenpox - Europe, the USA and Australia all now do," said the mother, Sarah Allen, as per a report from The Telegraph. Allen called on others to sign her petition so "so everyone else has the choice" whether they want their children vaccinated against chickenpox or not.
'Worst case of chickenpox' sparks call for rethink on vaccination via @guardian https://t.co/jUpU3PFw4T
— Tomorrows Consultant (@2morrowsC) August 2, 2016
According to the report, Allen's son, two-year-old Jasper spent a total of five days in a hospital after suffering from infection from his chicken pox sores that were all over his body. Allen said that 48 hours before being admitted, a receptionist at a local GP surgery turned her request for an appointment with a doctor as it was deemed that the toddler's condition was not severe enough.
"People say their child had bad chickenpox, but when we show people pictures of Jasper none of them can believe just how bad it was," said Sarah Allen, as per a report from the BBC. Allen said doctors in the hospital Jasper was admitted to "all wanted to come and see this worst ever case of chickenpox."
A report from The Guardian said that currently, vaccination against chicken pox is only given to children and adults "who are in close contact with someone who is either immuno-suppressed or would otherwise be at risk if they got chickenpox." There is no impending change in policy, the report added, but a review of the childhood vaccination program against chicken is expected to end next year.
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough clinical commissioning group, which oversees GP services in Allen's area reportedly did not receive any complaint from Allen about being turned down. The group advised parents to "keep a watchful eye" on their children who have chickenpox, as it may result to complication in rare cases.
