QOTD 2/5

minionlover · February 2015

With all this talk about vaccinations and things got me thinking about the vaccine for chicken pox. When you were growing up did you get the chicken pox? If not would you get the vaccine? Are you going to (or did you) vaccinate you kids against the chicken pox?

minionlover · February 2015

I never had the chicken pox growing up. Everyone else around me did though. When my brother had them he would lay on top of me to try to give them to me and it never happened. When I was in my 20s and the vaccine was gaining a little popularity, my Dr wanted to give me the vaccine but ran a blood test first to see if I had the antibodies. Guess what? I already had to antibodies so no vaccine for me.

I think that I will give my kids the chicken pox vaccine. I am not against vaccines at all but I have wondered about the chicken pox one and if it changes your chances of getting shingles. I could be being completely ignorant about that though so if anyone knows more about that, I would love to hear.

ramstein1027 · February 2015

I am pro vaccination (or just not a dumbass, in the vernacular) but honestly just don't know much about the chicken pox vaccine. I was born in 1986--was that an option when I was little? I have no clue. My brother and I both got chicken pox and neither of us had it very bad.

If it negates the chances of shingles I would definitely have my kids get it. My mom thought she had chicken pox when she was little and it turns out she didn't, and she got shingles while pregnant with my brother. Very scary. They both ended up being fine but she said it was the most painful thing ever.

ETA: I didn't know you could still get shingles if you've had chicken pox. Ugh

catwine · February 2015

My brothers and I all got chicken pox at the same time. I think I was around 8 or 9 and it was terrible! I have a deep scar on my forehead as a reminder of how terrible it was.

I didn't know there was a vaccine, and I probably won't vaccinate my child against it. As far as I know, chicken pox is not life threatening to a child, and I'm not a fan of vaccines for things that aren't life threatening. MMR, Polio, Hep B, all good...but a chicken pox vaccine just seems unnecessary.

consciousdear88 · February 2015

Had chicken pox whenever I was little. Agreeing with prior posts though (from the perspective of somebody who has had both in her lifetime)--if the vaccine was helpful with both chicken pox and shingles, I'd definitely be on board.

islandmonkey8 · February 2015

Chicken pox vaccine is required to go to daycare/school in my area. My kids are getting it. There is no reason for them not to. I didn't get it as a kid because the vaccine wasn't around then. But I got chicken pox when I was 5.

You can still get shingles if you have had chicken pox. There is a shingles vaccine for when you are older, like the flu shot.

ramstein1027 · February 2015

islandmonkey8 said:

You can still get shingles if you have had chicken pox. There is a shingles vaccine for when you are older, like the flu shot.

*quote box fail*

Good to know! I had no idea.

catwine · February 2015

islandmonkey8 said:

Chicken pox vaccine is required to go to daycare/school in my area. My kids are getting it. There is no reason for them not to. I didn't get it as a kid because the vaccine wasn't around then. But I got chicken pox when I was 5.

You can still get shingles if you have had chicken pox. There is a shingles vaccine for when you are older, like the flu shot.

That happened to my brother! He had the chicken pox when he was really little and then had shingles in high school.

mrshall1027 · February 2015

I'm not sure if I got the vaccine or not for chicken pox, but I did get chicken pox. It was pretty terrible and I still remember just how bad it was. I have several scars all over my body from it. I will be vaccinating my child for sure! I'd hate to see her go through that.

LDubHawksFan · February 2015

I had chicken pox. I think the vaccine wasn't out there when I was young. I'm pro vaccine, but I don't know much about this particular one. I would obviously learn about it before having our kids get it, but I don't see why we wouldn't.

pockysquirrel · February 2015

I got chicken pox when I was about 4 years old. Like others have said, not sure if the vaccine wasn't available then, or just wasn't in widespread use. My hypothetical future kid will be vaccinated. No sense in making them go through an experience that is painful, leaves them unable to go to school or day care, and can potentially leave scars, not when it's preventable.

mana8503 · February 2015

You have to have had the chicken pox to get shingles. The Chicken pox virus stays in your body (or something) and comes out later in life. My mom is still recoverying from it and that was in Nov. It can take up to a year for the pain to go away.

So by preventing your kids from getting the chicken pox, you prevent them from getting shingles later. Or they will have to get a vaccine against the shingles.

Someone with shingles can give it to a baby, and the baby will get the chicken pox. (as per my pedi)

I will vaccinate my child

mana8503 · February 2015

Posted too soon - Chicken pox vaccine came out in the mid 90s, so many of us were too old/already had the chicken pox. I got it when I was 3-4, so I don't remember it at all. I do have a missing eye lash from a chicken pox scar.

xxjen015 · February 2015

I got the chicken pox, but I honestly don't remember it, so I must have been pretty young. I do still have some chicken pox scars, though. I've had 2 places removed that I thought were cysts but turned out to be scar tissue. I'm pretty sure they're from the chicken pox.

I don't see the harm in getting the vaccines, so why not. Especially since, as a teacher, I have firsthand knowledge that parents tend to send their children to school with contagious illnesses even when they know they're not supposed to. I don't want my child to suffer because of someone else's ignorance.

goatlady12 · February 2015

I had chicken pox twice. I got a super mild case as an infant when my siblings got it. Then I got a little bit stronger case of it in I think 2nd or 3rd grade. For some reason I didn't get immunities the first time.
I will vaccinate my kids against anything my doctor recommends.

xxjen015 · February 2015

Saw this and thought of all of our conversations. Well said.

mana8503 · February 2015

xxjen015 said:
Saw this and thought of all of our conversations. Well said.

WillyH19 · February 2015

I had the chicken pox when I was preschool age.

J will likely be getting the vaccine.

I will get the shingles vaccine.

brainybrunette · February 2015

The chicken pox vaccine wasn't around when I was a kid. I got the pox on Easter when I was 5.

As for the vaccine, I'm totally for it and other vaccines. To say that chicken pox can't be very serious is not true. A friend of the family was hospitalized with the pox when she was a kid. That was before he vaccine was available. Although modt people didn't get a terrible outbreak like she did, it can be very serious and why take the chance when it is now totally preventable.

mrshall1027 · February 2015

Also keep in mind that there are some children who can not take the vaccine because of other health complications/reasons and they are counting on those around them to be vaccinated to maintain heard immunity.

aimeek420 · February 2015

xxjen015 said:

Saw this and thought of all of our conversations. Well said.

As a school psychologist who works with students on the Autistic Spectrum and with other varying levels of cognitive and developmental impairments (and, as I'm discovering, someone who leads the pro-vaccination parade for those children who are able to have them)... this was perfectly stated.

xxjen015 · February 2015

I also have worked with students with severe autism. They were virtually non-verbal and it was one of the hardest jobs I'll ever have. I can't imagine what those parents go through daily. I know it's exhausting, difficult, and tries your patience constantly. However, it still isn't the worst thing to happen. I also don't believe vaccines cause autism, especially in these severe cases! I loved those kids with all of my heart. Yes, it would be hard to come home to that daily, but it would be worse to come home to no child at all because the worst possible happened from getting a disease they weren't vaccinated against.

sjs1013 · February 2015

The chicken pox vaccine did not come out until I was a teenager. I got the chicken pox on Valentine's Day in kindergarten, I was 5. I remember going into the bathroom and scratching my stomach but didn't say anything to the teacher that I was itchy. I got home and laid across my mom's lap and told her I was itchy. She lifted my dress and gasped. I remember it so vividly.

I had a moderate case, but my mom learned from my brother, who had it severe. She changed my clothes every few hours so the puss the spreads and creates more pox, didn't spread.

I am unsure if you can opt out of the vaccine to enter school, but you are really putting your child at risk if they don't get it. The majority of children do receive the vaccine so there is little to no chance your child will be exposed and get chicken pox. The older you are when you get the chicken pox, the more severe and complications you can have. I am teaching 9 years and have never had a student with the chicken pox. 1 child one year was not vaccinated and her mom was doing everything she could to get her exposed. I think she ended up getting the vaccine.

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