Question about CHICKEN POX

[Valerie]

Chicken pox is actually contagious BEFORE the person breaks out with the pox, so if you come in contact afterwards it doesn't matter. Generally speaking, kids under 1 yr usually don't get it. I'm not sure how it is in your state, but in Iowa it is now one of the required vaccinations before they start school. So Nicholas has been vaccinated, but I'm not really sure what I think of that. Since it's a fairly new vaccine, who knows how long it lasts? I'm wondering if all these kids who have been vaccinated are going to be having chicken pox in their 20's, when it would be harder on them!!

[Connie]

Turtle,

Here in Indiana it is required that children be vaccinated against Chicken Pox but, being the rebel I am I refused and got a note from my doctor stating that due to medical reasons my children would not be receiving it. The school accepted it...I do have to get one yearly though.

My two older kids had the chicken pox 2 weeks apart one was 2 the other was 4 MONTHS!!! While it was rough I am glad it's over with!!! I had them at 21, got them from someone who had SHINGLES!!! The older you get the rougher it is....take my word for it!!!

Now I am just trying to plan Chicken Pox parties so my 5 & 7 yo can get them and get it over with!!!

Connie

[pmjc]

Nicky was 19 when he caught chicken pox last January, he was really sick - high fevers low oxygen, breathing problems etc. I wish the chicken pox vaccine had been available when he was little.[img src="http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y83/paulinemjc/SA400010-1.jpg[/b]"]

[Chris too]

You don't have to be little to get the vaccine. Our ped even recommends a booster around puberty since they are finding lowered efficiency after about 15 years. Don't know if that means you need to get a booster at 30 or what. Since my kids don't go to public school, we don't care what they require, and only one of mine has been immunized before puberty-age(can't remember which one - it was a weak moment when I just said "okay, go ahead"). I don't like the idea of purposely exposing the little ones, but I don't know why What we have done is leave them un-immunized until 11 years old, then get the shot if they haven't gotten it (no pox yet).

Best wishes!
Chris too

[pmjc]

Chris, I meant when Nick was little the vaccination wasn't available.

[Jessie]

Yes, it can be very hard on adults to get chicken pox/shingles.

My sister's kids had the vaccine when they were little and ended up getting the chicken pox at the beginning of school. They both had VERY mild cases. It's true, they are recommending a booster now.

I struggle with this vaccination too, especially being that my kids are generally healthy and could probably handle a normal breakout. It's a tough decision whether or not to let them get the disease or give them a vaccine that no one really knows how long it lasts. Jason had them when he was younger, so no worries there.

Jessie

[Renee']

Both of my children have had them and neither of them have had a case of the chicken pox. I am glad I had them get the shot. When my youngest turns 1 she will get the vaccine. I have taken care of adults with chicken pox and even older children. It is horrible and they are very ill as opposed to children that have them. I just had a DPT booster. I don't really see the bid deal in getting a booster for something that can save you from a disease that can be miserable or life threatening to some. Just my opinion.

[mollysmomma]

we used to have 'pox parties' too

[CC]

Funny for myself even at my age I have never had chicken pox's or the shot.

Both Kodi Lee and Christopher did have the shot just a year or two ago and there were no issues at all from the shot. Not sure if they will need another shot down the road for this but if they did I would have it done again.

Not sure but I think the scarring comes if you pick the scabs (sp?) and that would be for anyone of any age, i think

Now this post has made me very itchy I tell you

CC ~

[victoriasdad]

my wife was thirty when she got the chicken pox, it was terrible, anyone that has had the chicken pox can under certain conditions develope shingles, which are horrible blisters that can cover your entire body, sometimes they go away some times as in my mothers case u can have them the rest of ur life, also chicken pox on your ear drum or in your eyes can cause permanent deafness or blindness, oh yeah u can die from the chicken pox too,,,, chicken pox are bad shingles are worse,,, they are agony !! if u are immunized hey .. you probably wont get them or shingles.......... you can decide not to immunize your kids but remember when your kid gets sick it might be somebody elses kid that catches it from your child , there is a reason there is no longer small pox in the world, it took cooperation from every (EVERY) nation in the world, that is the first time ever in the history of man that every nation on earth did something together,, although because hindus worship a goddess of smallpox the government had to forcibly immunize some of the adherents of that goddess..(smallpox in a person was thought to be a sign of blessing from the goddess) in idaho and in most states there is a little known secret that the state likes to keep secret, you can opt out and not have your child immunized because of religious or OTHER reasons,, i believe in immunization, but i couldnt stand being lied to by the school nurse and principal when they told me i HAD to get my children immunized, i called them on it and made them admit that they couldnt make me get my kids immunized... but i did have to sign a waiver..... though there has been no conclusive link between immunization and SIDS it doesnt take a brain surgeon to realize that a. giving your infant a infection , may have adverse side affects, and b. the government sometimes lies to you to affect their own agenda,

[meghans_mom]

i've had 3 mild (documented) cases of the chicken pox and apparently never built immunity to it...i still have no antibodies to it and the doc said that even at my old age, i could still be vaccinated against it. i never did when it first came out b/c it was very new and i wasn't comfortable w/ the idea

there was some vaccine we were given as kids....not sure if it was rubellla, or what and if you were born b/w certain years you had to be vaccinated again b/c immunization wore off...i was like 20 or so when i got re-vaccinated.


in most cases chicken pox are not dangerous, but they can cause complications in rare cases...for that alone, i wouldn't (personally) expose my kid to the CP- but then again I'm just a nervous nelly.

CC - you may be the opposite of me, and may have come in to contact w/ CP and have antibodies to it, and just never had the outward signs...its like how some ppl never get mono bad, but will have AB's to it.

laurie

[char]

I had the chicken pox twice. The second time was far more impressive than the first. My son did not have them until he was 18 and in college. The school sent him home in a hurry. He was to terribly sick, but certainly was glad to be home and being well cared for while he recouperated.

I understand from my son who works in the medical field that shingles are caused from a virus very similar to the chcken pox firus.

[elizabethsmom]

actually, it is not recommended that you purposely expose your child to the chicken pox. While true that most come thru without a problem; in severe cases it can be lethal. There have been children who have died from having the chicken pox. That is why the vaccine was initiated. So... the recommendation is to have your child vaccinated, then stay away from people with known outbreaks. Chicken pox is contagious from the first sign of fever until the last pox scabs and dries.

[Chris too]

Here's a fine reason for getting the chicken pox vaccine. Stevie has just two pox (so far), and William has about a dozen, the others, except for Betsy, have been immunized. We have 2 Holiday shows coming up as well as Christmas. Betsy is going to be at least possibly contageous (from 2 days before, through all scabbed over) through Christmas. Bummer. Bad timing. If I'd thought this through, I'd have had the rest of them immunized.

A little tidbit I got off the net: if you are immunized within 3 days of exposure, you have a 90% chance of avoiding the pox. Unfortunately, for us, we were unaware of the exposure until the pox showed up

*sigh*
Chris too

[lespring]

I had them at the age of 22 when I was pregnant with #2. I was sooooooooooooooooooo sick, AND they lasted for 3 weeks before they all scabbed over. I spent 3 days in the hospital for severe dehydration. They say that exposure to chicken pox during pregnancy "can possibly" cause problems with the baby depending upon the time of exposure. But nobody knows for sure. Well, Tyler was born with abnormal hemogobin cells they'd never seen before, and we spent the first year storing blood for him. Tyler was also the most difficult of difficult babies...and todders....and kids...an teens....Tyler has Paranoid Schizophrenia.

They also say exposure during pregnancy will cause the child to be immune to them. Tyler had titer tests done and he showed that he'd had exposure to the pox and would indeed be immune to them.

When he was 9 we came home from church one night and he complained about his itchy back. Yep...lifted his shirt and his back was covered, and within 24 hour so was his entire body. He didn't seem very sick with them though.