Chicken pox party | Imamother

MaBelleVie

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 5:19 am

bluebird wrote:

Terrible idea. Once you have it, the virus doesn't ever leave your body and you can end up with shingles later in life.

http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/.....enpox

Don't do this, please. Vaccinate your child and give them a better chance to avoid this.

The vaccine hasn't been around long enough to know whether it confers immunity against shingles later in life. Youre making a huge assumption here. (There is a separate shingles vaccine though)

Raisin

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 5:26 am

FranticFrummie wrote:

Some of the posts above have already established that people with an active case do travel by airplane to different countries. That's how epidemics get started, when the disease reaches a population that has no immunity.

The indigenous Mexicans never got the flu until the Spanish conquistadors arrived. Confused

FF, when my oldest got chicken pox I had 2 younger kids. I did not go anywhere in public until the last kid was over it, since I knew there was a strong possibility of them being infectious. Other people, alas, may not be so responsible.

Do you fly? That must be pretty scary for someone like you. My sons once got flu when we were away, no doubt picked up on the plane. The airline would not let us change the tickets home unless we paid a couple of thousand dollars, so we had to fly.

amother

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 7:59 am

My friend had chicken pox when she was 3 years old. It turned into encephalitis. There were 2 other cases at the same time as hers and the other two children died. As a result, the chicken pox vaccine was invented soon afterward.
B"H my friend recovered, but she was hospitalized for months and had to be taught how to walk again afterwards. Now, she is a mother and a nurse and makes a seudas hodaah every year to thank Hashem for saving her life. And she recommends that everyone give their children the chicken pox vaccine.

Sanguine

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 8:00 am

I'm a very NOT-cautious mother. But I would never get my kids sick on purpose. When my kids were little the vaccine was new so very few people gave it. We just let our kids get it if they did. Luckily (I guess) they all had it by the time they were 8 (put a big check mark under chicken pox for my family Very Happy

).

If I had to decide now, I don't think I would give the vaccine now but would let it just take a chance for now, and later if they didn't get it by a certain age, I would then start the vaccine

I think it's better to get it than vaccine (and I believe in any vaccine I can get), but I wouldn't give it to my kids on purpose

SplitPea

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 8:08 am

Sanguine wrote:

The thing is its sooo rare now days that without a "party" no one just "catches" it anymore. There are whole networks of literally hundreds of people working to move it from state to state to help others get it and some people drive 4+ hours one way for exposure!

On the shingles thing there are many studies coming out that the chicken pox vaccine is actually INCREASING shingles. One the virus is still in your system and they have seen VERY young cases on shingles from vaccinated kids. Two. It use to be when parents and grand parents were exposed to pox they got some what of an immunity booster shot. Their antibodies built back up. Now days with it not around that's just not happening and more and more cases of shingles are occurring.

Sanguine

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 8:35 am

SplitPea wrote:

Ah - I get it. If your kid doesn't get it young, you're setting them up for shingles later in life - Unless they come out with a shingles vaccine by the time your kids are big. Glad my kids caught it on their own.

So what is the health ministry saying? If you're right, they should do away with the vaccine. They should only allow kids over 15 (or whatever) to receive it - or families with low immune system problems. (Why do I always think I have the answer to the world's problems and no one ever asks me?)

I see the problem. I didn't give my kids the vaccine cause it was new so I just let things as they always were. But now so many women work "men's schedule", that no modern woman can take a week or 2 off from work cause their child is sick, so everyone did it.

Who is the "poor mother" who has to host a party when she has a sick kid? A bunch of healthy total stranger toddlers running through your house while your sick child is miserable. What a Chessed Very Happy

SplitPea

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 8:41 am

Sanguine wrote:

There is a shingles vaccine now. But it's VERY new my mother (not crunchy at all) refuses to take it!

And most kids I have see with pox are not miserable.

Pox parties typically consist of sitting and playing with toys/watching a video and eating lollipops! Lots and lots of lollipops!

PinkFridge

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 8:57 am

I'm a bit confused about this shingles sidebar. I thought that the vaccination reduced the possibility of shingles, and that getting it naturally confers more of a chance?

That aside, I don't know know what I'd do if I were younger and facing this. I can't see getting my kids deliberately sick but I am glad that they all got it naturally. Our first round was before the vaccine came out. After it came out, I still was on the fence and the school was allowing waivers. A doctor who I consider very sensible suggested waiting till the kids were ten, then if they didn't get it to give the shot as c.p. after ten is more painful. It was moot as the rest of the kids got it before, over two more rounds, IIRC (the last round was when they caught it from a friend who had a mild case after the shot; my kids got the full-blown deal).

MaBelleVie

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 9:28 am

PinkFridge wrote:

The shingles bit is confusing. Supposedly, the vaccine offers more protection. However, the vaccine hasn't been around long enough to see what happens practically with these kids. They haven't yet reached that age.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 9:42 am

eema of 3 wrote:

If I had it as a kid, does that mean my kids are immune?

Absolutely not. But it DOES mean that your babies as infants have a level of protection that they would not have if you didn't have natural immunity. That's why babies tend to get milder cases -- because their mother conferred immunity somewhat with antibodies...though that wanes after several months.

By not allowing our daughters a chance to gain natural immunity, it actually creates a riskier situation for their babies Sad

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 9:47 am

bluebird wrote:

Actually one is at risk for shingles too if they get vaccinated for the chicken pox.

(And because the disease is less prevalent due to the vaccine, we're seeing shingles in earlier ages Sad

This is a known global issue -- doesn't affect individual decision, though -- and scientists are trying to come up with new vaccines to stop that issue.)

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 9:50 am

amother wrote:

That's not why the chicken pox vaccine was invented....

It was started in Japan to be given to people close to patients with leukemia.

It became scheduled in America due to the economic benefits of parents not having to take off of work (it's in the CDC documentation -- I'm totally not a propoganda pusher!)...and many states made it mandatory for school because the public schools get more funding for better attendance record.

I'm sorry there were major complications, and really very happy your friend survived, but I just wanted to clarify why the vaccine was made.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 9:53 am

Sanguine wrote:

No, you misunderstand.

Anyone who had chicken pox in their body is susceptible to shingles, as it lays dormant and just manifests itself differently.
This is true for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, when their immune system is down.

It used to be that frequent exposure to chicken pox bolstered immunity as it caused the body to continue making antibodies, but with chicken pox not circulating as much, the antibody response isn't happening as often, and people are susceptible to shingles at younger ages...vaccinated or not.

Ruchel

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 10:01 am

SplitPea wrote:

Plus side of all partying together in two weeks if all out kids get it at least they will have friends to play with!!

Unless they're like my dd who refused to be seen by anyone including my own parents until it was much better. She refused to go to school, shrieking and kicking at the idea. She would plunge on the floor in the car while passing by some acquaintance shock

amother

Fri, Jan 31 2014, 10:12 am

hmmm.... ds had the vaccine at 1year. I had a mild case of shingles within the month I think it was. I did have shicken pox when I was 3 or 4. wonder if it was connected.
I was thinking of having them hold off the cp vaccine... but I wouldnt go exposing him really and what are the chances he would have gotten it before going to official school? probably slim.

and pox parties were around before the vaccine came out. figuring kids would get the illness at some point, parents may as well help them get it when it was convienent (vacation/no little babies or pregnant mother etc)