Should I let my kids get chicken pox?

[Mondia]

Or should I have them vaccinated? The US theory is vaccination but I am told that in the UK and other parts of the world kids are not vaccinated so that they contract chicken pox in childhood and not as adults which can be severe. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

[wnyw]

my girl was vaccinated. I was neutral bout it. But my husband and FIL was supportive of this cos they feel that as girl having chix pox would leave permanent scars.

so it's more for aesthetic purpose and lessen inconvenience if she suddenly develops chix pox before exam / her wedding???

Honestly i don't really buy that. i had chix pox when i was 9 and before a school exam. yes i have some marks on body but didn't really bother me much as they're not unsightly. Not obvious too.

But since they want to go for it, i just went along with it. I agree that it can be troublesome having to suffer from the outbreak esp if you get it old...

Remind me of Goh Chock Tong's recent case?

[sierra2469alpha]

Mondia - let me qualify what I am about to say in that: 1) most Australians from my generataion, even up until today, are allowed to develop cicken pox at the usual ages. 2) I have some, but not a LOT of knowledge in the areas due to work I do for some charities which as part of their work do some forms of innoculations, and 3) I have been a paramedic in a previous career. You also need to know that I am NOT a parent so this may have some bearing.

While we're not parents, our god-daughter (16 going on 24 - happy to lend her to you for a few years if you like!) when born, was not innoculated for the same reasons as said in 1). She developed, but with the various treatments to stop kids scractching these days she came through fine.

I'd suggest you speak with a qualified medical practitioner, but also suggest you do some homewrok on W.H.O and MedScape (both free sites) and even WikiPedia (although as you should know, always check that).

It seems to me that regardless, having total exposure to a virus such as HS is better than a lab-grown variant. Now, that IS a generalisation - again do your own research on that. However, as you rightly say there are some complications, of which I have not found any clear proof of an innoculation for VSV/HSV will limit the effects of a later recurrence of HSV in later life, such as shingles. I myself got a very very bad case of shingles at the age of 36 after a particularly stressful time in my life, which affected the side of my face. I know of 5 other people who had the same condition on various parts of their bodies. They were mostly around my age, but some were older, so I cannot really score it specifically in terms of age.

What my doctors told me was that I was lucky that I was NOT immunised, and that they recommend against it, as the anti-viral meds available now are so strong and their potency very assured, that had I been innoculated (which remember is a lab-grown version) may well have not been as effective.

I guess I'm not that much help - maybe it's a chicken before the egg kind of discussion, but I hope that some of the information may help point you into other paths to work out what is best for your child.

Oh, and just by the way, when they get to high-school age (females), please do get them innoculated for cervical cancer. That one is a no-brainer.

HTH, Mr. P

[batgirl_cdn]

We have chosen not to give the chicken pox vaccine until our boy reaches age 13 or 14 and doesn't get it naturally. Natural immunity seems to be longer lasting than having one single vaccination. People who do vaccinate should remember the booster vaccination when their child is older. This seems to be the reason why so many adults are getting it now - they didn't have the booster, and also chicken pox is becoming rarer in children's population and people who were unvaccinated and uninfected as children can of course catch it as older teens and adults.

I disagree with saying that having daughters vaccinated for cervical cancer is a no-brainer. Gardisil is still a new vaccine and children getting it now are essentially the guinea pigs. Also, not all strains of HPV are protected against with the vaccine, so it is still possible for a vaccinated person to get HPV and cervical cancer. I think that teaching your children not to have too many s.e.xual partners and using condoms would do wonders to help prevent HPV infection in the first place.

It amazes me that some people think that getting their children vaccinated with the BCG vaccine prevents them from catching tuberculosis, but this is not the case. More reading will give you the info.

I recommend Dr. Sears The Vaccine Book as an unbiased resource for finding out more about vaccines than the pamphlets in the doctors' offices. When I read about the incidence of diseases, what is in the vaccines, and the current info on the efficacy rates of some of the vaccines, it was much easier to decide which vaccines to give my child and when to give them.

[durain]

darn! my kid need chicken pox. he felt so left out coz other kids were getting it! anyone want to share their kid's chicken pox?

(should i put this in the classified in the "wanted" section?)

[Mondia]

Natural immunity seems to be longer lasting than having one single vaccination. People who do vaccinate should remember the booster vaccination when their child is older. This seems to be the reason why so many adults are getting it now - they didn't have the booster, and also chicken pox is becoming rarer in children's population and people who were unvaccinated and uninfected as children can of course catch it as older teens and adults.

I recommend Dr. Sears The Vaccine Book as an unbiased resource for finding out more about vaccines than the pamphlets in the doctors' offices. When I read about the incidence of diseases, what is in the vaccines, and the current info on the efficacy rates of some of the vaccines, it was much easier to decide which vaccines to give my child and when to give them.

I agree that a single vaccination may not be potent enough and that the booster is important. My older one was vaccinated at 1 (in the US) and will (I think) be give the booster but my younger one has not had it as yet and so I'm wondering whether I should vaccinate her or not. Frankly, if I was still in the US, this issue would not arise as US pediatricians (at least in NY) recommend this vaccine.

And thanks for the book recommendation - another friend recently recommended it too.

[batgirl_cdn]

darn! my kid need chicken pox. he felt so left out coz other kids were getting it! anyone want to share their kid's chicken pox?

(should i put this in the classified in the "wanted" section?)

I tried exposing my son to the neighbour's kids who got chicken pox in turn, but he never caught it (The parents of those kids are both Singaporean docs by the way - they didn't bother getting their kids vaccinated for chicken pox.) Maybe we'll have better "luck" next time.

[taxico]

Or should I have them vaccinated? The US theory is vaccination but I am told that in the UK and other parts of the world kids are not vaccinated so that they contract chicken pox in childhood and not as adults which can be severe. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

if your child is healthy, then pox parties are the way to go.

i was vaccinated, but still caught the evil pox during my senior year in college.

it was NOT FUN.

the scars heal better when they're younger too.

[Matney]

I disagree with saying that having daughters vaccinated for cervical cancer is a no-brainer. Gardisil is still a new vaccine and children getting it now are essentially the guinea pigs. Also, not all strains of HPV are protected against with the vaccine, so it is still possible for a vaccinated person to get HPV and cervical cancer. I think that teaching your children not to have too many s.e.xual partners and using condoms would do wonders to help prevent HPV infection in the first place.

Thanks for this comment. I have a friend whose daughter (in her 20s, married with children) was given this vaccination. She started to have seizures soon afterwards. I haven't rushed out to get my 16 yr old vaccinated yet. Waiting for some information on how it does effect them later on. This takes time.

As far as chicken pox, that vaccine wasn't around when mine were younger. They both had them, son had a mild case, but I feel natural immunity would be better than a vaccine. Just my opinion.

[kraxpot]

I read with interest this discussion with regards to chicken pox. Perhaps let me offer my advice on this - since I'm in the healthcare industry.

I would strongly advice any parent, or any person who has yet to suffer from chicken pox to get the vaccine. The reasons are manifold - but the main ones that I will list include
1. Avoidance of possible complications from chicken pox. Sure, most cases are mild, and complications are usually eminently treatable, but why gamble when your health is at risk?
2. Vaccination does not guarantee a lifetime protection, but it certainly affords you the luxury of getting a milder (and shorter) disease if you should fall ill with chicken pox despite the vaccination
3. For girls - aesthetic appearances are important. An ugly scar on the face is at best annoying and at worst downright traumatic.
4. It affords you protection against shingles.

Whoever said that "chickenpox" is a mild childhood disease has never suffered from it - the usual course is fever for a few days, absolutely crappy appetite and a whole bunch of itchy rash for a week or 10days.

Just my 2 cents worth....

[sundaymorningstaple]

I read with interest this discussion with regards to chicken pox. Perhaps let me offer my advice on this - since I'm in the healthcare industry.

And your qualifications in the healthcare industry are?

[batgirl_cdn]

Whoever said that "chickenpox" is a mild childhood disease has never suffered from it - the usual course is fever for a few days, absolutely crappy appetite and a whole bunch of itchy rash for a week or 10days.

Just my 2 cents worth....

This was my favourite part.

[jpatokal]

Whoever said that "chickenpox" is a mild childhood disease has never suffered from it - the usual course is fever for a few days, absolutely crappy appetite and a whole bunch of itchy rash for a week or 10days.

...and if you think that's unpleasant, wait 'till you get shingles. It basically burns your nerve endings from the inside, and if you're unlucky, the pain never goes away...

[batgirl_cdn]

Does the vaccine prevent one from developing shingles? If people can still catch chicken pox even after vaccination, can they not also develop shingles?

[jpatokal]

Does the vaccine prevent one from developing shingles? If people can still catch chicken pox even after vaccination, can they not also develop shingles?

There are no guarantees in life, you can get shingles after chicken pox as well -- but the odds of doing so are considerably reduced.