vaccinate your kids, or else!!

[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.