Urgent...Chances of getting chicken pox?

[Spudtastic]

On friday we travelled three hours to see dhs aunty as she is sick. We are in the town for the weekend and haven't seen her yet. She has a brain tumour. On friday she went to hospital for an mri where she said she was in contact with chicken pox. She goes in for a biopsy on monday so dh is keen to see her.

I am thinking that perhaps dh goes to see her and I stay away with dd who is two.

Dd hasn't had chicken pox nor has she been vaccinated.

I have had chicken pox. I think dh has too. My inlaws have already been to see the aunty too.

I'd lo e to hear from anyone who knows about these things.

 

[BunnyN]

Has your aunt had chicken pox before? If she is immune she wouldn't be able to catch it and pass it on. Do you plan to have your DD vaccinated? If not then its probably better she catches it as a child rather than when she is older? I might avoid it a bit longer with a baby but 2 seems a reasonable age already. Chicken pox can be dangerous to catch while you are pregnant but if you have had it you should be okay.

 

[Spudtastic]

Thanks buny. I think it's unlikely dd will get it of we stay away. I'd like her to get chicken pox but obviously just not now whilst I'm pregnant as I am her carer when she is sick.
Dd says he's has had chicken pox.

Dhs aunt is going in for a biopsy on the tumour tomorrow so he really wants to see her but doesn't want to risk me getting sick.

 

[iiTTCii]

If you have already had it, you should be immune. Both my nieces and my daughter have had chicken pox whilst I've been pregnant and I've not caught it. I had it when I was younger.

 

[gemstone]

Unfortunately just because you have had chicken pox or shingles this doesn't mean you are immune. I have had both of these and assumed all would be well coz that's what my midwife said. They sent the bloods off and it came back that I wasn't immune & I had them at the time. The only symptoms I had was a normal cold. And now my dd3 is disabled. I wouldn't risk it. The hospital let us down by now giving me the jab in time to protect the baby. So I think it's best to stay away..

 

[PregE]

I would only be worried for your aunty, as she is sick and has a lower immune system it wouldn't be nice for her

If your 2 year old is healthy then I wouldn't worry about catching chicken pox, better to get it over and done with early and have natural immunity. In saying that, your Aunty has only come into contact with it, and not necessarily caught it. She has probably had them already and may not be at all affected by coming into contact with it?

I think it's only two days until the rash appears too, if the time thing would help you be more comfortable. But yeah, do whatever feels right to you

 

[Spudtastic]

Thanks ladies for replying.
In the end dh went to see his aunt. He and his aunty have both had it as have I. I read up on official websites about the probability of getting in and it is very low

 

[pinkpassion]

I have a question.. not trying to start anything just curious!
Why would people rather their kids get chicken pox virus vs the vaccine?
I thought if you got the virus you have the shingles virus inside waiting to come out later in life. So why would that be good vs the vaccine??
This is an honest question, because maybe there's something I don't know about it or there's more to it? I'm honestly curious not trying to start anything....

 

[Kitteh_Kat]

It's definitely possible to catch chicken pox more than once if you didn't develop immunity from the first time around. I've had it twice so far!

The vaccine is part of the routine schedule around here, so I haven't seen any kids with chicken pox in awhile thankfully. I'm hoping DD escapes it and doesn't have to worry about shingles later in life... it just sounds so painful!

 

[zmzerbe]

Did anyone live in an area when you were a kid where if a kid in the neighborhood contracted the chicken pox, all of the parents would send their kids to go hang out with this kid? I remember growing up it was all about getting the chicken pox out of the way so they saw the opportunity and took it if another kid had chicken pox lol.

 

[Nerdy]

I totally remember Chicken Pox Parties!!! It was the best thing to do; catch it and get it over with.

That being said... Hubby had a SEVERE case of chicken pox when he was a kid and then had a vicious case of shingles when I was pregnant with DS. He was pretty miserable. I'm thinking we've seen the last of it, though!

 

[zmzerbe]

Haha I had the chicken pox when I was 3 Months old apparently. My sister brought them home from daycare when she was 3 and then we were the host of a chicken pox party lol!

 

[Nerdy]

Haha! So far we haven't seen hide nor hair of the chicken pox with DS and don't know anyone who has them so... He's out of luck for now and I'm sure he'll wind up with the vaccine.

 

[zmzerbe]

Haha! So far we haven't seen hide nor hair of the chicken pox with DS and don't know anyone who has them so... He's out of luck for now and I'm sure he'll wind up with the vaccine.

DH and my SIL actually had the vaccine when they were kids and have never had the chicken pox, same with all of DH's friends. So if our son gets it I'm sure at some point DH will too... I can only imagine those things wear off eventually lol

 

[pinkpassion]

But nobody knows why they prefer the virus to the vx? Because I wouldn't want dd to go through shingles so I would want to avoid the virus?

 

[BunnyN]

In my case I had a reaction to vaccines when younger and it permenantly effected my health. DD has allergies and I'm afraid of her having a reaction too.

I know the official version of what causes shingles has changed more than once, I can't remember the current thought? Honestly I'm not sure but I wonder if the vacine has even proven to prevent shingles?

 

[Spudtastic]

I thought the vaccine was relatively new but from posts here it doesn't sound like it.

Pinkpassion - you raise a good question. I'd be interested in knowing more. If you get chicken pox you have the virus in you. If you don't get immunity from chicken pox (not everyone does) then you can get shingles later perhaps. If you do get immunity does this mean you won't get shingles? (Just writing as I think). Perhaps a question for the next doctors visit.

 

[pinkpassion]

Yes definitely a good question because I have no idea and I've heard others before say they'd rather their kids get the virus.. interesting!!!

 

[BunnyN]

Immunity from a virus often lasts longer than a vaccine so prehaps that is a reason for some? The chicken pox vaccine is a live virus so I'm thinking it could acctually cause shingles like chicken pox can? Like you say I need to read more about it .

 

[pinkpassion]

I just found this online:

children who receive a chickenpox vaccination have a much lower risk of getting shingles later in life than those who are not immunized, said Dr. William Schaffner, doctor of preventative medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and a leading infectious disease expert.

Although chickenpox vaccines do contain a weakened version of the live virus, which can reactivate later in life and cause shingles, this is very rare, he said. "Nearly 99 percent of children who receive the vaccine will not get chickenpox at all," Schaffner told Live Science. "The remaining 1 percent who do get it will get a much milder version of it. Therefore, a vast majority of people receiving the immunization will not develop shingles later in life."
Once someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus remains dormant, but can reactivate years later, causing shingles, which is characterized by a painful rash, often on one side of the face or body. About half of all cases of shingles occur in people ages 60 and older, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention .