vaccinate your kids, or else!!

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by nikki1920

Someone said earlier something about the varicella vaccine? I debated on getting that for my child, since I had a BAD case of it when I was younger, but apparently the strain has changed and children were developing serious complications from it. She ended up getting the vaccine.

That was me. From what I've read (and garnered from talking to other parents), the Varicella vax "wears off" so to speak after about 10 years, so the child either has to get a booster (not an impossibility, just aggravating) or worry about catching chicken pox as a teen/adult where the symptoms and complications associated with the disease can be more severe.

But, by catching chicken pox naturally at a young age where the symptoms and complications are less severe, the body is more or less immune for the rest of their life.

Again, that's my understanding.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by ISUKappa

But, by catching chicken pox naturally at a young age where the symptoms and complications are less severe, the body is more or less immune for the rest of their life.

Again, that's my understanding.

I was always told that you can only get chicken pox once; However once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in your body and you can get shingles.

So as I understand it, the vaccine prevents chicken pox and you can't get shingles without having had the chicken pox first. (so it sort-of prevents two things).

Hope this makes sense.

[ISUKappa]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I was always told that you can only get chicken pox once; However once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in your body and you can get shingles.

So as I understand it, the vaccine prevents chicken pox and you can't get shingles without having had the chicken pox first. (so it sort-of prevents two things).

Hope this makes sense.

I know and understand both of those points. However, the varicella vaccine does not provide lifetime immunity. Only actually having the chicken pox gives you that (though mild cases may not). One would have to continue getting chicken pox boosters throughout their lifetime, or until a lifetime vax is created.

Shingles usually manifests itself in the elderly (usually) and there is currently a shingles vax for that demographic. Shingles, while extremely painful, does not necessarily pose the same threats actually catching chicken pox as an adult does.

[APhi Sailorgirl]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I was always told that you can only get chicken pox once; However once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in your body and you can get shingles.

So as I understand it, the vaccine prevents chicken pox and you can't get shingles without having had the chicken pox first. (so it sort-of prevents two things).

Hope this makes sense.

As someone who is only 25 and had chicken pox at 4 and then shingles at 16, I'm curious how the vaccine will affect shingles. I got shingles after being re-exposed to chicken pox. Since my case of chicken pox was mild, I did not have enough antibodies to fight it the second time, hence shingles.

I don't know if the vaccine could have the same effect, esp if it is not a lifetime vaccine. People down the line could end up with shingles if re-exposed to chicken pox.

And while shingles isn't as bad as chicken pox with side effects, it isn't any easier and the nerve pains leading up to the breakout made me think I was crazy b/c we couldn't pinpoint the cause of the problem until the rash appeared.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by APhi Sailorgirl

As someone who is only 25 and had chicken pox at 4 and then shingles at 16, I'm curious how the vaccine will affect shingles. I got shingles after being re-exposed to chicken pox. Since my case of chicken pox was mild, I did not have enough antibodies to fight it the second time, hence shingles.

I don't know if the vaccine could have the same effect, esp if it is not a lifetime vaccine. People down the line could end up with shingles if re-exposed to chicken pox.

And while shingles isn't as bad as chicken pox with side effects, it isn't any easier and the nerve pains leading up to the breakout made me think I was crazy b/c we couldn't pinpoint the cause of the problem until the rash appeared.

Goto the CDC to get the references.

Both viruses are alpha herpes simplex viruses. They are double stranded DNA viruses. There are several strains. You may have gotten different strains and you got similar symptoms, however few different ones.

Your doctors could be more astute... That is why you need to EDUCATE YOURSELF and KNOW your body... You ultimately have to be on top of your health of yourself. Come in with measurements--like how high and long was your body temperature... I know crazy, but that's how I got treatment for hypertension...

[BigRedBeta]

Originally Posted by AKA_Monet

Goto the CDC to get the references.

Both viruses are alpha herpes simplex viruses. They are double stranded DNA viruses. There are several strains. You may have gotten different strains and you got similar symptoms, however few different ones.

Your doctors could be more astute... That is why you need to EDUCATE YOURSELF and KNOW your body... You ultimately have to be on top of your health of yourself. Come in with measurements--like how high and long was your body temperature... I know crazy, but that's how I got treatment for hypertension...

The Shingles vaccine is currently only being recommended for patients 60 years and older.

If you had Chickenpox as child, getting shingles is a possibility. The lifetime risk of getting shingles is about 10% without the vaccine. The vaccine cuts this risk in half, so if you get the vaccine, the odds are only 5% that you'll get shingles at some point in your later years. However, if you get the vaccine and still get shingles, you end up with a milder form of the disease. If you've ever met anyone who has shingles or still suffering from the neuropathic pain that occurs for years afterwards, you'll understand why getting a milder form of the disease is better.

For those who have already had shingles, the vaccine is not currently being recommended. This doesn't mean you can't get it. However, the clinicians I've been working with recently have been telling those who have had shingles to kind of just wait and see what the recommendations end up being.

[AKA_Monet]

Originally Posted by BigRedBeta

The Shingles vaccine is currently only being recommended for patients 60 years and older.

If you had Chickenpox as child, getting shingles is a possibility. The lifetime risk of getting shingles is about 10% without the vaccine. The vaccine cuts this risk in half, so if you get the vaccine, the odds are only 5% that you'll get shingles at some point in your later years. However, if you get the vaccine and still get shingles, you end up with a milder form of the disease. If you've ever met anyone who has shingles or still suffering from the neuropathic pain that occurs for years afterwards, you'll understand why getting a milder form of the disease is better.

For those who have already had shingles, the vaccine is not currently being recommended. This doesn't mean you can't get it. However, the clinicians I've been working with recently have been telling those who have had shingles to kind of just wait and see what the recommendations end up being.

Was this for me or the OP? I kind of know this, already, since I have a Molecular Genetics Ph.D. and a paper using Adenovirus...

[AGDee]

I know of at least one teenager who got shingles and who had the varicella vaccine, not the chicken pox disease. Then again, my brother is a rare one who got chicken pox twice as a kid. He had it when he was 2 and then again when I got it. The first one was very mild so the doctor said it might not have been bad enough for him to develop immunity. I think part of the logic of having all children getting the vaccine is to prevent them from giving it to a parent/teacher or other adult who did not have it as a child. I had my children vaccinated before it was necessary because their dad never had chicken pox and we didn't want to risk him getting it.

It's my understanding that you can get shingles any time that your immune system gets very stressed. My grandfather had shingles so bad that he had to have surgery to have the nerve deadened because he was in such pain for so long. Bad deal.

I worked with a lot of autistic children as an OT and was trained in sensory integration, which has been quite successful with some autistic children.