Exposing kids to chicken pox on purpose???

[Florita]

I am another one who never "got" chicken pox, even though I was exposed to it when I was 4. An exchange student at my HS came down with CP and at the age of 17 I got shingles. Luckily it was on my torso - not my face. The dr said I must have had very minor CP when I was younger. My kids have all been vax'd for it, including booster shots. It seems like you would really have to go out of your way to catch it nowadays.

[Mercer]

24 minutes ago, Grace said:

Instead this happened...

1. You got CP as a kid and developed immunity

2. Your kids got the CP vaccine so your immune system didn't get its "booster" shot. 

3. You got older and your body forgot how to fight off the virus which is still dormant in your system. The virus wakes up and has free reign to break out into shingles

I'm the "had chicken pox twice" person and my mother got a terrible case of shingles at the younger end of the typical shingles age range. I guess there would still be random exposure to other people's sick children without the vaccine, but that would be pretty hit or miss. Obviously that's just one case, but I don't think this natural chain of conveying immunity is exactly foolproof either, so once again I'm on the vaccination side of things.

From what I've read on the subject, even though it is indeed likely that chicken pox vaccination may have caused an increase in shingles cases (though to what degree is debated,) medical consensus still seems to fall in favor of vaccination being the lesser overall risk of harm.

[blessalessi]

7 hours ago, caszandra said:

@blessalessi, the chicken pox vaccine is not in the vaccine schedule on the NHS unless you are in a vulnerable group, parents have to pay to get it done privately if they want their child vaccinated.

Thanks, I did not know this! We have an asthmatic child in the family, so the other children were probably offered the vaccination because of that. I assumed it had become part of the usual vaccination schedule.

[Cannelle]

I got chicken pox when I was 11. It. Was. Miserable. I had them in my ears, so badly all over my face that I couldn't wear my glasses, on my gums, down my throat (which made eating almost impossible, and by the time I went back to school, I weighed 78 lbs at 5'4". The pictures of me from that time are ghastly), on my genitals, between my toes...I ran fevers, sleptwalked, and hallucinated. I got my son the vaccine as soon as it became available to him, because I would never, ever want him to go through that.

[OyToTheVey]

I had chicken pox at 12. It was awful. I skipped 3 weeks of school. I'm the kind of person that stresses about everything and I'm so afraid of getting shingles. I've seen people come in with shingles and it's not pretty.

[SledCat]

I got chicken pox as a young adult thanks to one of my sister's piano students. Apart from mono (which I got the year after that), it is the sickest I've ever been. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. There wasn't a vaccine when I was a kid, but I sure wish there had been.

[SummerRocks]

Where I was born no chicken pox vaccine is given routinely (not even sure if it was available when I was a baby) so I have had the chicken pox, no big deal it seemed. I would love my children to get chicken pox as well - so can't snark on these people sorry

[Criscat]

7 hours ago, daisyd681 said:

Well that's going to be interesting. Despite the being apparently immune, the Navy insisted that I required the varicella shot. Will I need the shingles shot?

Nope. Shingles vaccine is only really for the elderly (or above 62 at this point).insurances for the most part won't pay until this time unless it's a special circumstance and then it will need a prior auth. It's an expensive vaccine--last I heard, without insurance $300+, so most people waited it out til it got approved. To give a perspective, most flu shots range in price $5-40 even without insurance. 

[Koala]

They didn't have the vaccine when I was a kid, so I got it naturally from my step brother.  

My kids are both vaccinated against it though.  

[Kittikatz]

I vividly remember chickenpox. I was seven and caught it by accident. It was quite bad and the whole experience was horrible. Socks on hands, my mother yelling at me not to scratch because SCARS!! and calamine lotion applied against my will (I didn't think it helped at all). I felt utterly dreadful and bitterly resented the parade of random children who I didn't even know being brought over to play with me in the hope that the pox would be upon them. And while we were having such a wonderful time (sarcasm) playing the mums would have tea and chat. It was normal for that time and place and nobody thought much of it. Apparently one of the little girls who was exposed to me wound up in the hospital, and I recall my mother saying something like "imagine how bad it would have been for her if her mother waited until she was older to get her infected". Mothers who avoided pox parties were roundly criticised as irresponsible by many of the other mothers. Now I'd say the whole thing was fairly brutal, but it was done with the best of intentions, and pox play dates and parties were just seen as part of life. That said, my father got shingles shortly after I had the pox, and they blamed me for him getting sick, which was pretty screwed up. The whole experince was uncomfortable, confusing, scary and all around bad. I wouldn't wish chicken pox or shingles on anyone, and if I had children I would be getting them vaccinated, and I fully plan on getting the shingles vaccine as soon as I hit 50.

[SoSoNosy]

I had chicken pox as a child, supposedly a fairly mild case of them.  My children, who were never vaccinated for CP, never had CP except my daughter had possibly one or two blisters when her children (who had been vaccinated) got CP.  They had mild cases, also.  I had shingles the first time when I was 37, and again last year; the case at 37 was horrible, because the FDA had just removed the only effective anti-viral from the market.  I had horrible blisters, and still have scars, luckily they were/are contained to my right shoulder and arm.  I caught the signals early enough last year to get on the anti-viral, so the blisters that tried to form were quickly subdued.  That was a good thing because it started in the hairline on the left side of my face and went down.  One tried to form in my throat.

A friend of my daughter's had CP when she was in early pregnancy; her baby was born with scarring and a lot of other physical problems.

[Denim Jumper]

I had a pretty miserable case of CP when I was 12; my brothers all got it at the same time too, and theirs cleared up after a week or so, while I kept getting new lesions for a good 3 weeks. And got to start at a brand new school just as the lesions were finally starting to scab over. Ugh. Then had shingles at 32, while very pregnant. So yeah, all 3 of mine got the vaccine.

[MarblesMom]

As a Mom (to humans and a dog), I would not knowingly expose my kids to anything harmful.  But, I knew moms back in the 90s who absolutely wanted their kids to get it and get it over with.  With the vax today, perhaps fewer kids will end up with it.

I got CP at 20.  I should have gone to the hospital.  It was not pretty or fun and quite possibly the sickest I have ever been in my life.  Since (as the commercial says) "the chicken pox virus is already inside you," I have had shingles twice.  Also not fun.

 

[Denim Jumper]

7 hours ago, Grace said:

The massive increase in shingles in older folks is actually in part BECAUSE of the chicken pox vaccine, from what I understand. It used to work like this:

1. You got CP as a kid and (in most cases) developed immunity

2. You kids got CP and your immune system remembered what to do and revved up. Sort of like getting a booster shot. So your body would successfully fight the virus if it tried to flare up as shingles.

3. As an older person you were again exposed when your grandkids got CP. Acting as another booster to keep the shingles part of the virus down again.

Instead this happened...

1. You got CP as a kid and developed immunity

2. Your kids got the CP vaccine so your immune system didn't get its "booster" shot. 

3. You got older and your body forgot how to fight off the virus which is still dormant in your system. The virus wakes up and has free reign to break out into shingles

 

Hence the need for ANOTHER vaccine which now takes the place od getting additional exposure to the live virus.

The elderly have always had a higher incidence of shingles than the general population. There has been a gradual increase in shingles, but that increase started before the CP vaccine was used in the US.

[MarblesMom]

1 minute ago, Denim Jumper said:

The elderly have always had a higher incidence of shingles than the general population.

Whaaah?  I am now in the coveted "elderly" demographic?! 

[MarblesMom]

[DaffyDill]

My kids got CP when my best friend's kids got. My youngest was about 3, and he had spots, and was miserable for a couple of days, but overall, his wasn't a bad case.

My older one was 5, and he got it so, so badly. He was absolutely covered in spots from the top of his head to the tips of his toes and even in his mouth. They were so bad, the spots on his torso pretty much joined up so he was like one big spot, and terribly, terribly miserable and unwell. I'd have to bathe him gently in a solution we have over here called Pinetarsol which stank a bit, but helped with the itching. I can still remember him sitting in the bath, crying and crying, with spots everywhere, poor baby.

Chicken pox can be so nasty. The vaccination wasn't available then, or I would have had them vaccinated.

[Ais]

I had the pox at around 8 yrs old at the same time as my infant sister and the itching was horrendous. At the time treatment was calomine lotion - the most ineffectual substance known to man! My 3 boys have all had the pox too, one of them really badly (under the foreskin, inside the eyelids , down the back of his throat etc) and it was treated with Piriton. They didn't scratch at all, they have no scars and they don't even remember having it. Yay for modern medicine lol

[sawasdee]

I got CP when I was 5, in the late 1950s. Mum had just left Dad, we were living in two rooms in a boarding house - 4 of us - and my brother was hospitalized with septicaemia. MY poor Mum was trying to look after me, visit my dangerously ill brother, and cope with a new job and a very new situation. My 15 year old sister got landed with most of my care, and I was NOT a good patient. The very smell of calamine lotion can make me VERY crabby, even today.

And as for shingles - I had it about 8 years ago, around my torso. VERY painful, and I couldn't bear to wear a bra for about 4 months, and it can still feel extremely uncomfortable. I was, however, luckier than a friend, whose shingles spread to her face, and she was blinded in one eye. She wore a very chic black lace edged eyepatch for the rest of her life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Grimalkin]

I got chicken pox while on vacation in Florida. It was a mild case and I barely remember it except that my Great Aunt helped take care of me but she made weak chocolate milk. My brother didn't get it and my mom exposed him on purpose later because supposedly getting chicken pox as an adult can be very bad? Not sure if true. He never got it though but I got shingles at 23 while pregnant with my first kid. That sucked.

[elliha]

1 hour ago, Grimalkin said:

I got chicken pox while on vacation in Florida. It was a mild case and I barely remember it except that my Great Aunt helped take care of me but she made weak chocolate milk. My brother didn't get it and my mom exposed him on purpose later because supposedly getting chicken pox as an adult can be very bad? Not sure if true. He never got it though but I got shingles at 23 while pregnant with my first kid. That sucked.

Adults in general get much worse than children and are more likely to need hospital care. Most children, even those with more serious cases can still be cared for in their home.

[Casserole]

14 hours ago, Kittikatz said:

I vividly remember chickenpox. I was seven and caught it by accident. It was quite bad and the whole experience was horrible. Socks on hands, my mother yelling at me not to scratch because SCARS!! and calamine lotion applied against my will (I didn't think it helped at all). I felt utterly dreadful and bitterly resented the parade of random children who I didn't even know being brought over to play with me in the hope that the pox would be upon them. And while we were having such a wonderful time (sarcasm) playing the mums would have tea and chat. It was normal for that time and place and nobody thought much of it. Apparently one of the little girls who was exposed to me wound up in the hospital, and I recall my mother saying something like "imagine how bad it would have been for her if her mother waited until she was older to get her infected". Mothers who avoided pox parties were roundly criticised as irresponsible by many of the other mothers. Now I'd say the whole thing was fairly brutal, but it was done with the best of intentions, and pox play dates and parties were just seen as part of life. That said, my father got shingles shortly after I had the pox, and they blamed me for him getting sick, which was pretty screwed up. The whole experince was uncomfortable, confusing, scary and all around bad. I wouldn't wish chicken pox or shingles on anyone, and if I had children I would be getting them vaccinated, and I fully plan on getting the shingles vaccine as soon as I hit 50.

 

Your mom wasn't kidding. I have the scars to prove it. 

[Diana]

I didnt even knew there was a vaccine for chicken pox, when i was a kid( Spain at the 90s) it wasnt on the vaccination calendar, maybe it was available like the flu vaccine that its only recommended for old or sick people.

All the kids had chiken pox and it was like a normal children dissease, something everyone had to go throught and it wasnt a big deal, i dont know if this has changed since then maybe nowadays its on the calendar. I remember having it at the same time than my sister(probably on purpose) and its actually one of my first memories sneaking out of bed to scratch each others backs and my mom yelling at us for it, fortunately it didnt leave us any scars.

 

[moodygirl86]

15 hours ago, Kittikatz said:

I vividly remember chickenpox. I was seven and caught it by accident. It was quite bad and the whole experience was horrible. Socks on hands, my mother yelling at me not to scratch because SCARS!! and calamine lotion applied against my will (I didn't think it helped at all). I felt utterly dreadful and bitterly resented the parade of random children who I didn't even know being brought over to play with me in the hope that the pox would be upon them. And while we were having such a wonderful time (sarcasm) playing the mums would have tea and chat. It was normal for that time and place and nobody thought much of it. Apparently one of the little girls who was exposed to me wound up in the hospital, and I recall my mother saying something like "imagine how bad it would have been for her if her mother waited until she was older to get her infected". Mothers who avoided pox parties were roundly criticised as irresponsible by many of the other mothers. Now I'd say the whole thing was fairly brutal, but it was done with the best of intentions, and pox play dates and parties were just seen as part of life. That said, my father got shingles shortly after I had the pox, and they blamed me for him getting sick, which was pretty screwed up. The whole experince was uncomfortable, confusing, scary and all around bad. I wouldn't wish chicken pox or shingles on anyone, and if I had children I would be getting them vaccinated, and I fully plan on getting the shingles vaccine as soon as I hit 50.

Oh, poor you! Not that I think what you went through was funny, just I love the way you describe the situation.

I caught chickenpox at 10 - just some spots and no feeling of physical illness. I got off lightly, probably because it was prior to puberty. Unfortunately, my two older brothers caught it off me as well. They were 16 and 17 and were both really ill with it, I felt so guilty even though it wasn't anyone's fault. To me, it just meant a week off school with the only drag not being allowed to play out or have friends round. We're in the UK and CP is generally considered a mild kids' disease - but it clearly can and does affect adults too and what's more, knocks them on their arse!

[Hane]

23 hours ago, QuiverDance said:

Having chicken pox is one of my earliest memories.  I remember socks on my hands, calamine lotion, and cornstarch in the bath.  And oh.  MISERY.  I had one on my eyeball.  I think I was three.  Horrid, horrid, horrid.  

Oh, God. You win. I had them in my throat and my mom thought that was bad.