Chicken Pox Vaccine??

[Debs5angels]

My 5 year old twins have to get this vaccine in order to enter kindergarten in Sept. They are due to get the shot 4 days before we go on vacation. My question is has anyone's children received this vaccine and are there any reactions? I have heard that some children will get the chicken pox after being vaccinated.

Thanks,
debs5angels

 

[sixcats]

My 4 year old had no reaction with the shot, but every child is different. Can you change the date of your doctor's appointment to avoid worrying about it?

 

[becka]

My DS just had this shot earlier in the month. He did not have any problems other than just the normal crankiness. He also got his DTaP and his MMR at the same time so the crankiness may not have been directly related to the chicken pox shot.

 

[browneyes]

I don't remember my ds having a problem with the shot afterwards. I like SixCats suggestion of rescheduling the shot though.

 

[Pete's Mom]

I'm glad you brought this up. Does anyone know how long the chicken pox vaccine lasts? We were discussing this at summer camp yesterday. I know that the older you are when you get chicken pox, the more dangerous it can be.

Wouldn't it be better to get chicken pox when you are younger as opposed to say, 21? My ex got them at 18 and ended up having to be hopitialized. He had them so bad they were on the roof of his mouth and inside his ears!

BTW, Pete did not have a reaction to his shot.

 

[helenabear]

I had the vaccine when I was an adult (at age 21) and both times I go the shot (I had to get two spaced out from each other) I had no trouble at all with any strange reactions.

Pete's Mom, I can't recall long it is good for or if it is good for life. I know when I am in my 30s I want to have my blood drawn for this one. They forgot to do it the first time to make sure the antibodies weren't there so I want to make sure I am still good.

 

[DemonLlama]

My DD had it, no problems.

My hubby took it a couple of years ago since he was worried about getting them as an adult, since with kiddos, you tend to be around kids who are infected and don't know it yet.

Case in point -- my DS, who I was sure had had the shot got them at the end of last year from who knows where. I was in denial at the first sign. I dug out his old shot records and realized he'd never gotten it! (He was born in 93 and it wasn't standard for kids to get them until 95, I think.) Poor baby was miserable for a week, thanks to mom's oversight.

I'd rescuedule if you can, but if not, just bring the tylenol in case they start to feel bad.

If I remember correctly, they wanted to recheck my hubby's blood in 10 years, but then his doctor told him he wouldn't need to when he showed up with a case of the shingles last year

You can only get the singles if you have the chicken pox antibody in your blood.

 

[mrsmom]

I have three out of my four kids had the shot, i was just asking the ped about the booster. She said it was to believed they need a second shot after 10 years but now they are saying no booster shot. My dd is 9 and had hers at 4 months old due to her medical conditions and my son had it too at the same time. They were a little cranky after wards but a little tylenol helped, no fever or anything like that. But if your concerned put it off until you get back, it won't hurt to wait.
Kim

 

[Rock'n Robin]

All of my kids have had this shot--DD#1 when she was 4, DD#2 and DS when they were much younger. All have been exposed and never gotten chicken pox. No one had a reaction. Only DD#1 ever reacted to any shots, and that was a slight fever after her DPTs when she was a baby.
Robin M.

 

[shamrock bunch]

Both of my kids had the shot. They are now 6 & 3 with no problems and no chicken pox.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

My kids both got the shot about 5 years ago. No reaction, no problems, and no chicken pox at any point.
I imagine those that got the shot early on will be the guinea pigs for the rest of us. They say the shot has been used for 30 years...

http://www.babycenter.com/refcap/baby/babywellness/1725.html

It also tells how the shot protects against severe shingles.

 

[Gette88]

I think my DD was 2 years old when she got her shot. She had no reaction to it.

 

[KimRaye]

Originally posted by Debs5angels
I have heard that some children will get the chicken pox after being vaccinated.

Only a mild case, so I've heard.

Both my kids got this vaccine 4-1/2 years ago when DD was 1 & DS was 11yo. No reactions for either.