Chicken Pox

[trayletha]

Did anyone else see the story about the outbreak at a daycare of chicken pox? Something like 40% of the kids who had had the vaccination got it anyway. My doctor hasn't given it to DD yet (she's 4) because he told me that looking at the research he didn't think it would give them life long protection and if you get it in adulthood it is MUCH worse - plus he really tries not to give it to girls because if you get them when your preg it can do SERIOUS damage to the baby. Guess he was right. So anyone have a contagious child we can come over and play with?

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Do you really want chicken pox for Christmas? I had a friend in childhood who had brain damage from Chicken pox. A friend of my sons almost died from a staph infection in a pox! It is certainly not something to play around with. Japan has used the shot for 20 years, and that should be the clue whether we get boosters or not. BTW, it is a requirement to have the shot to enter K in Florida.

 

[JulesMom]

I didn't think there was enough research to show how long immunity would last.

Getting chicken pox in pregnancy is more serious for the mom than the baby. In the 2nd trimester the mom is at high risk for pneumonia

 

[browneyes]

Originally posted by BibbidiBobbidiBoo
BTW, it is a requirement to have the shot to enter K in Florida.

The varicella shot is also required for Georgia for K. My SIL had chicken pox for Christmas 8 years ago (she was 25 yo at the time). We jokingly say that was her present to our dd that year. Our dd got chicken pox a couple of weeks later (she wasn't quite 2 yo then).

Sorry to hear about your ds' friend, BibbidiBobbidiBo. Is your ds' friend doing well?

My ds had the varicella when he was 3. He'll have to be re-immunized in a few years.

 

[missymouse3367]

At the office where I work, we strongly recommend that all children get the vaccination. Some children do not get enough immunity from the shot , those are the children that would have gotten them twice anyway. I myself have never had chicken pox. My mom would always make me baby-sit any children that had them so I would get them while I was young. I have had a titer drawn and I am immune, so I had to have at least one.

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

My 10 year old was vaccinated as a young child, but came down with the chicken pox at age 8. He had a TON of spots but they came and went quickly.... not scarring and not terribly itchy.

 

[shortbun]

My good friend, who is a MRDD teacher with profoundly
disabled, yelled at me when I expressed doubt about
having DS innoculated. At that time, 3 out of her 8
students were there because of chickenpox brain damage.
She was adamant that all children be immunized
against this potentially life threatening disease. We
had DS immunized. He's been very exposed twice and
not gotten chickenpox. Both exposures were within
4 years of his immunization.

 

[ByTheSea]

Interesting... everything I have read as urged people to go ahead with the vaccines... My DS had the vaccine very young, as early as he could get it, but at age 4 he did get the chicken pox. From what I've heard of the usually chicken pox, we had an extremely mild case. Even though he had many pox, he never complained about itching, never acted like he felt sick, and they came and went (no scaring) in just a few days.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I saw that story about the outbreak in daycare (I think in New Hampshire) and I bet the same thing is happening everywhere. There has been chicken pox outbreaks in local schools in my area right now. And almost every kid getting the chicken pox here already had the vaccine. But like the other posters said, the immunized kids usually have a mild case.

One family I babsit for has three kids: a 9 year old DD, 7 year old DS, and 3 year old DS. All were immunized as babies. Recently, the 9 year old DD came down with chickenpox, a mild case - some large spots all over body but not densely covered. Two weeks later the two DS's got it too - the seven year old had an even milder case, and the 3 year old only had about 10 spots total. If doctors suspect that immunity fades over time, then this family is a perfect test case.

A booster shot or second dose of vaccine will probably become a requirement soon, like the Measles vaccine.

 

[Boots]

It is required here in Tennessee too. At the daycare I work at I have to pull the children's records to make sure they have their shots and this is a required one.