Chickenpox Question*UPDATE* We have more Pox!

[allie&mattsmom]

There has been an outbreak of chickenpox at my kids school. DS9 has 3 pox so they sent him home Friday. Most of the kids who are affected have had the vaccine.

DS had the vaccine when he was around two or so so hopefully it will be a very mild case and he'll be able to go back to school soon. Does anyone have a child who had the vaccine that got the chickenpox later and if so was it a pretty mild case?

Has anyone else had outbreaks at their schools?

*UPDATE* What a bummer! DS just got out of the shower so I told him I wanted to take a look at him to make sure he didn't have any new pox that have popped up. Well, wouldn't you know he has two new ones on his rear end! He really wanted to be able to go to school tomorrow! I really wanted him to be able to go too! At least he doesn't really feel bad so it could be worse!

 

[polly p]

My little dd had the vaccine but hasn't gotten them yet. My two older kids did not get the vaccine and had pox everywhere. So hopefully your child will only get the 3 pox. so far I haven't heard of an outbreak in our area.

 

[Buckalew11]

DD (12) had chicken pox vaccine when she was a baby. She's had 2 mild cases of them since. One in preschool and the other in K or 1st. Both times she had about 13 pox and it was very mild with hardly any itching. I am hoping that'll do her cause I had them in high school and was COVERED and it was heck.

Hope he feels better soon!

 

[momsgonwild]

I live in Central TX, and we have had several cases of chicken pox. These children have all had the vaccine, and are in the same age groups. The children at our school have had very mild cases. Three to ten spots, and one had a very slight temp. The child may return as soon as the spots scab over, and temp is gone for 24 hrs. Apparently, this is pretty common. Our school has to report to the health department each confirmed case. According to the health dept, this is happening everywhere.

 

[disneysteve]

Dr. Steve here. The varicella vaccine, which came out about 11 years ago, has been remarkably effective in reducing the incidence of chicken pox, isn't 100% perfect. There is still a risk of getting the disease. Though as others have mentioned, vaccinated kids generally get a very mild case. I've seen numerous vaccinated kids who get chicken pox but every case has been very mild. So the vaccine definitely works and if our child hasn't gotten the shot yet, you should do it.

By the way, Merck is introducing a new vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster) which is caused by the same virus but generally affects adults. I dont have any info on it yet but it sounds very promising.

 

[Buckalew11]

Dr. Steve, what is your opinion on kids needing a booster for chicken pox? Or will having had a mild case take care of ever having a full blown case?

I wonder if a shingles vaccince would trigger a case (mild or not, I don't want them).

 

[Puffy2]

The way I understand it, as long as the vaccine is NOT a live virus, there is no way for you to get the disease from the vaccine. Some vaccines are (or have been) made from live viruses, so this is something you should ask when the vaccine is made available.

 

[allie&mattsmom]

Dr. Steve, what is your opinion on kids needing a booster for chicken pox? Or will having had a mild case take care of ever having a full blown case?

I wonder if a shingles vaccince would trigger a case (mild or not, I don't want them).

Thanks everyone! I was going to ask this same question regarding a booster. They don't have one yet do they?

 

[momrek06]

My sons are 24 and 20....so NO vaccine when they were little. DS 23 got the chicken pox when he was 4yo! He literally had THREE. I actually thought he had a ZIT(pimple) on his neck and thought he was kind of young for pimples ALREADY!!! Went to the MD and sure enough they said he had chicken pox....well something like 20 days later (maybe less) 20yo son came down with chicken pox, he was one! I opened his bedroom door that morning, looked in the crib and I almost FAINTED. DS was COVERED, and I mean COVERED from head to the BOTTOMS of his feet. OMG, DH and I were blown away. How does one child have THREE and the other child have THREE MILLION...

I always heard (as a mom during that time) to have your child GET the C.P.!!! And I had friends sending their kids to my house with my two to EXPOSE them so they would get them and get it over with before they were school-age!!!

VACCINE was not even an option. Glad to see they have it now. DOES IT WORK WELL??? I guess with it only being around a short time....time will tell!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My DD, who was vaccinated, got them last year, in 1st grade. There were 3 cases in the school, and they did have to be reported to the DPH. Her case was very mild - 5 spots total, and only one classic pox, confirmed as chicken pox by our pediatrician. DD was mildly ill.

It would have been easy to miss, but she showed me an "itchy" spot, and because she was ill, I asked her if anyone in school was sick, and she said, yes, her friend had the chicken pox. I put two and two together, and took her in to see the doc. It made me wonder if there were more cases going unrecognized.

Interestingly enough, my DDs twin brother, who was also in the same class, lives in close contact with DD, and was also vaccinated at the same time as as DD, did not get them.

 

[disneysteve]

Dr. Steve, what is your opinion on kids needing a booster for chicken pox? Or will having had a mild case take care of ever having a full blown case?

When the vaccine first came out, the thought was that a booster dose might be needed. But so far, studies have shown that immunity is long-lasting and no booster recommendation has been suggested. I believe the longest studies are about 20 years old at this point and they have not seen a drop off in immunity levels.

Having CP, even a mild case, does confer immunity. So someone who has had the disease (vaccinated or not) would not need a vaccine or booster.

 

[Mermaid02]

Around here many kids who had the vaccine are getting REAL cases of Chicken Pox, not the mild ones that are more common in vaccinated children. I'm hoping my son escapes it!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

It can go either way, as I've experienced it. All three of us (me, Dsis and Dbro) had the chickenpox vaccine as part our routine school vax growing up. When I was in 5th grade, I contracted a mild case of chicken pox and was back to school within a week or two's time.

Not so for my poor sister who had probably the worst case I've ever seen. She had 'pox' pustules everywhere..all over her arms, legs, torso, on her eyelids and in between her toes. She even had some in her throat because she was a thumbsucker still at that age (she was 9 and I think this is what cured her of it).

Hope your DS feels better. I know how horrible the itching can be.

TOV

 

[golfgal]

When the vaccine first came out, the thought was that a booster dose might be needed. But so far, studies have shown that immunity is long-lasting and no booster recommendation has been suggested. I believe the longest studies are about 20 years old at this point and they have not seen a drop off in immunity levels.

Having CP, even a mild case, does confer immunity. So someone who has had the disease (vaccinated or not) would not need a vaccine or booster.

This is what our pediatrician told us when it was time for the twins to be vaccinated. The other thing she said was if they don't get chicken pox, they can't get shingles. Even if you need a booster in 10-20 years it is STILL WAY better then getting chicken pox.

 

[disneysteve]

All three of us (me, Dsis and Dbro) had the chickenpox vaccine as part our routine school vax growing up.

Sorry, but that isn't possible. The chicken pox vaccine has only been on the market for about 11 years. You and your siblings couldn't have been vaccinated when you were growing up.

 

[SillyMe]

Dr. Steve here. The varicella vaccine, which came out about 11 years ago, has been remarkably effective in reducing the incidence of chicken pox, isn't 100% perfect. There is still a risk of getting the disease. Though as others have mentioned, vaccinated kids generally get a very mild case. I've seen numerous vaccinated kids who get chicken pox but every case has been very mild. So the vaccine definitely works and if our child hasn't gotten the shot yet, you should do it.

By the way, Merck is introducing a new vaccine for shingles (herpes zoster) which is caused by the same virus but generally affects adults. I dont have any info on it yet but it sounds very promising.

Can you please let us know when you find out more info on the shingles vaccine? My dd14 is just recovering from them now.

To the OP: As far as the chickenpox vaccine, my dd6 had the vaccine. She's at risk for getting chickenpox since dd14 has shingles, and so far, she seems to be in the clear.

 

[Planogirl]

I've seen shingles mentioned here during discussions about chicken pox and I guess what I really don't get is how it relates to chicken pox. Can shingles appear years later? Can it keep on reoccuring?

I had a severe case of chicken pox as an adult and I've been told that shingles could appear any time. I guess that I'm just curious as to how likely it is.

 

[kristen821]

There has been an outbreak of chickenpox at my kids school. DS9 has 3 pox so they sent him home Friday. Most of the kids who are affected have had the vaccine.

DS had the vaccine when he was around two or so so hopefully it will be a very mild case and he'll be able to go back to school soon. Does anyone have a child who had the vaccine that got the chickenpox later and if so was it a pretty mild case?

Has anyone else had outbreaks at their schools?

What part of Illinois are you from. My neighbor (south suburb of chicago) came down with chicken pox. He is 14 years old and I am sure he had the vaccine since he goes to school. He had a horrible case. I am wondering if it is going around Illinois. I haven't had the chicken pox and I am a little nervous.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

Well, if it's going around, please DO NOT send it down here! I've had it, as has DH, but I don't want DS or DNephew (who has a slightly compromised immune system) to get it.

TOV

 

[disneysteve]

I've seen shingles mentioned here during discussions about chicken pox and I guess what I really don't get is how it relates to chicken pox. Can shingles appear years later? Can it keep on reoccuring?

Chicken pox and shingles are both caused by the Herpes Zoster virus. After you recover from CP, the virus lies dormant in a nerve root and shows up years later as shingles. It got that name because the full-blown outbreak looks like roofing shingles. Generally, it is a one-time thing but I have seen people get it more than once.

So anyone who has had CP is at risk of developing shingles later in life.

The shingles vaccine isn't out yet but it is coming soon. I'll try and remember to post when I learn more about it.