We have chicken pox! Wanna come play with us?

[Splash]

Yes, he is more at risk. Which is why I would have had another acyclovier rx filled if I had done it in time, and if the acyclovir wasn't so hard on him.
But because he's had shingles with no awful effects besides misery, I'm not *too* concerned about CP. No fever, still eating fine. He had a slight fever the other day, but that's gone. So far business as normal, just spotty.
Ulrike- I know the incubation is longer. I thought about that. But since he's already got it floating around in him (the virus that is) I didn't know if the incubation period mattered, or if just exposure could ramp up what he has already had. The level of varicella herpes zoster in his blood is continually quite high (but it's not the Ig that gives immunity, it's the Ig that gives infection... gosh I can't remember which Ig is which anymore. So what I mean is it's not an immune titer that is showing high, it's just a level of free infection showing high) so I've wondered in the past if when he has really random breakouts, if it's not related.
Now they're fading a bit on his torso, but on his arms. Who knows what it is?

 

[Synchro246]

I believe there is less chance of a complication to adults than to kids- I have heard of children who DIED from complications of chicken pox.

This belief is false. The CDC indicates that the morbidity rate in adults is 35X that in children. The death rate stats also indicate that it's much worse for adults than children. Before the vax was on the schedule >90% of cases of chicken pox were in children and 50% of deaths were in adults. The overall case fatality ratio then was 1 in 40,000.

If 10% of the cases are in adults and they are 50% of the deaths that would be a case fatality ratio of 1 in 8000 for adults and 1 in 72,000 for children.

Due to the differences in death rates in children and adults and due to the fact that this vaccine does wear off I belief that the case fatality ratio will rise (because there will be more cases of adult CP.)

The vaccine has a 1 in 33,000 risk of "serious reaction" (sorry, not my term) and a 1 in 50,000 risk of a serious seizure. (overall risk of seizure is 1 in 1000)

 

[Patriot201]

I believe there is less chance of a complication to adults than to kids- I have heard of children who DIED from complications of chicken pox.

I thought Chicken Pox was much more serious in adults than in children. Children have died from complications, you are right. But I thought there was a much higher risk of that in adults.

Here is a quote from the Mayo Clinic website:

COMPLICATIONS
Chickenpox is normally a mild disease. But it can be serious and can lead to complications, especially in these high-risk groups:

* Newborns and infants whose mothers never had chickenpox or the vaccine
* Teenagers
* Adults
* Pregnant women
* People whose immune systems are impaired by another disease or condition
* People who are taking steroid medications for another disease or condition, such as children with asthma
* People with the skin inflammation eczema

The most common complication of chickenpox is a bacterial infection of the skin. Chickenpox may also lead to pneumonia or an inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), both of which can be very serious.

This lists adults as one of the high risk groups for complications.

 

[Synchro246]

I didn't realize that eczema was a risk factor with CP.

Learn something new every day. . .

 

[AdventureMom]

I could use some CP here! We're only about... 3 hours from DC I think. Hmmm, road trip?? If only I had the extra gas $$....

Wish I had known! We've had a series of CP parties here in the DC area recently - not sure if anyone is still contagious, though...

 

[AdventureMom]

DH had CP just a few years ago - I counted over 400 pox while putting Caladryl on him

From the research I did, I learned that almost all of the deaths from CP - in both children and adults - included either steroids (which some patients were already taking for asthma or given for the itching) or antiviral drugs (which wreaked havoc on some of the children's immune systems). DH has asthma but thankfully was on an non-steroid inhaler...

We still decided not to expose Nolan during our recent outbreak up here - we decided if he gets it, he gets it; if not, then that's fine.

 

[thepeach80]

See, I'm the freak in the midwest. lol It seems no one here passes on any vaxes and when they come across cp (very rarely happens) they don't share. We had mumps in this area last year I think it was and I would've gone for that had I not been pg. I'd much rather they just get all that stuff now than worry about it later.

 

[honeybee03]

When we had chicken pox as kids, my dad actually had to pack up and leave until we were all done because he never had them as a child. And getting them as an adult is usually VERY serious.
Before the vax, about 50 kids a year in the US died of it. Most of those were on steroids for a medical problem or somehow immunocompromised.

Now they have discovered that the vax wears off in about 15 years. So the vax is keeping them from getting it (when it would be mild and non-lifethreatening) as a child and preventing them from developing life long immunity, and then wearing off as they reach adulthood and leaving them vulnerable when it would be most serious.

When we discussed not vaxing with my pedi, she actually told me to make sure to get her in on the chicken pox and measles parties when I can so she gets immunity.

I find it funny how back when there was no vax for chicken pox, it was nothing but a mild inconvenience, no one was afraid of it. But then after the vax came out, it was suddenly this life threatening horrible illnesss that was to be feared like the black plague.
The other day I was reading about possible causes of rashes and I came across some of the normal childhood illnesses we have now and have no vaxes for. Roseola for example. It is a mild illness which causes a fever and rash. But someday they are going to come up with a vax for it and all of a sudden it will be turned into a horrible illness that X amount of kids die from a year blah blah blah.....

Yoshia I get where you are coming from, because Charlie IS at risk being immuno compromised, but Splash has mentioned on several occasions that getting Charlie the vax for it would do absolutely no good, because his body doesn't have the capibility to form antibodies and gain immunity.

 

[Starlight]

Actually, I think it wears off in less than 5 yrs... that's why they recommend it at age 12 months, and at age 4-6.

Don't ya'll remember chicken pox? Everyone got it, it was fun, we eat lots of ice cream and got to stay home from school for a week and take lots of baths - with oatmeal!

And now, it's like OMG, we're going to die, Chicken Pox!!! Oh, the horror.

CP is still a mild disease for MOST kids. It's just a lot of scare mongering.

 

[chaoticoctopus]

Exactly. Who here has had 5th disease, or coxackie? Or had children contract them? No one considers them dangerous. And they won't, until a vaccine comes out, and suddenly we'll be hearing about how deadly they are. Actually, coxackie (hand, foot & mouth disease) is a pretty miserable illness. I'd rather have a vaccine for *that* than for varicella! If it were reasonably safe, I'd consider it.

There, I shot a hole in my own philosophy. Are you all happy?

 

[Stresch]

Don't ya'll remember chicken pox? Everyone got it, it was fun, we eat lots of ice cream and got to stay home from school for a week and take lots of baths - with oatmeal!

And now, it's like OMG, we're going to die, Chicken Pox!!! Oh, the horror.

I had them in 8th grade*. I missed two weeks of school in a row, then probably another week and a half off and on for a month after that. It took me MONTHS before I was totally healthy again. I had a very high fever and probably should have been hospitalized (as the doctor later told my mom). It was horrible. I had them inside my throat (and, um, a more private area too). I would never wish that on anyone. So, when your kids are small, sure, it's no big deal. But it is a big deal for older children and adults. So I would really recommend considering getting your kids vaccinated if they don't get them before about 12. I still remember the pain. And it was pain, not itching for me.

*I'd been exposed a lot as a kid, but probably had a small amount of natural immunity. I got slammed with a particularly bad strain.

 

[Patriot201]

Don't ya'll remember chicken pox? Everyone got it, it was fun, we eat lots of ice cream and got to stay home from school for a week and take lots of baths - with oatmeal!

I remember having them. For me, it was NOT fun. I had pox EVERYWHERE- on my eyelids, inside my mouth, up my nose, all over my body, in between my fingers and toes, EVERYWHERE. It was awful. I remember being miserable. I couldn't eat comfortably (not even ice cream) because of the pox inside my mouth. It was terrible.

 

[Patriot201]

Exactly. Who here has had 5th disease, or coxackie? Or had children contract them? No one considers them dangerous. And they won't, until a vaccine comes out, and suddenly we'll be hearing about how deadly they are. Actually, coxackie (hand, foot & mouth disease) is a pretty miserable illness. I'd rather have a vaccine for *that* than for varicella! If it were reasonably safe, I'd consider it.

You are right-- coxsackie virus is AWFUL! I have had it several times (I used to work in a daycare, where it spread like wildfire) and am praying I never get it again.

 

[Simplysomething]

Don't ya'll remember chicken pox? Everyone got it, it was fun, we eat lots of ice cream and got to stay home from school for a week and take lots of baths - with oatmeal!

I remember the chicken pox. It wasn't fun. Not in the least. I was 6, btw. lol

No, it's not an illness on the scale of say, polio. But it was not "fun".

 

[skaterbabs]

we have a family history of non-immunity to CP, in fact my dad had CP 3 times and shingles 2x as an adult. MIL has no immunity either, despite repeated cases of CP.

Personally, I would rather my daughter actually get CP and have a slight chance of developing an immunity than get the vaccine and risk the complications of it without the (supposed) "benefit" of artificial immunity - which she concievably could fail to benefit from at all.

Besides which, the CP vaccine contained cells from an aborted baby, and I'm pro-life.

 

[chaoticoctopus]

Besides which, the CP vaccine contained cells from an aborted baby, and I'm pro-life.

Thank you for mentioning this. I can't believe I forgot to list this in my original reasons. I don't want to start a spin-off discussion on pro-life/pro-choice, but this DOES factor into my objections against certain vax.

 

[Synchro246]

Before the vax, about 50 kids a year in the US died of it. Most of those were on steroids for a medical problem or somehow immunocompromised.

The number of cases per year before vax was 4 million (~10% of cases were in adults).
That again calculates to a 1 in 72,000 case fatality ratio for children.

I calculated it before using the numbers I had from the CDC. It's nice to hear a number that confirms my math.

 

[Synchro246]

So I would really recommend considering getting your kids vaccinated if they don't get them before about 12. I still remember the pain. And it was pain, not itching for me.

That's about the age I think I would want my kids to have the vax if they are non-immune. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we encounter it again in the next 10 years.

 

[chaoticoctopus]

Ditto. As much as I want all of my children to have natural, lifelong immunity (and 5 of 6 *do*! ), I will absolutely reconsider my objections to the vax if my youngest child isn't immune by about the age of 9 or 10.

 

[Yoshi]

I did vax my DD for Chicken Pox- despite the fact that she may need a booster or two down the road. We do all other vaxes anyway, and the way it was explained to me, my healthy daughter would not spread CP to other immune suppressed children or pregnant women she may encounter in school. So in effect, we were preventing the virus from circulating in the community.

I never had them as a child because I never went to nursery school, childcare or a single babysitter. My sister and I BOTH got CP as adults and were fine (in our mid twenties) It never raged through my school in 13 years of attendance. I agree that the elderly are at risk. They are now being offered the shingles vaccine also. I think that in MOST cases natural immunity is best, I agree with everyone there.

There was a teacher at the school I where I taught who was exposed to the coxsackie virus (I think it was that one) in her class and had a miscarriage in her second trimester. Some viruses are just pesky, others DO cause horrific things to happen on occasion. Luckily I had the CP in my twenties, because in my late 30's a week before giving birth, my DH got shingles. If I had no immunity to CP, I may have gotten chicken pox from the exposure to shingles while pregnant. Disaster averted.