Varicella Vaccine | Imamother

Brooklyn Mom1

Tue, Jun 25 2019, 11:21 pm

I am concerned about giving the Varicella Vaccine, due to the fact that they don't know how long it lasts. I am concerned about my daughter getting chicken pox when she is 30 and possibly pregnant. Unfortunately sending to school in New York is a problem. I was never a fan of purposely exposing but it may be the only option. I am a fan of vaccinating teenagers that didn't naturally get chicken pox and in that case hopefully immunity will last longer. [Edited to remove request. Imamother is not the place to ask for disease to be spread, even if, or especially if it's for your own children. Other post has been removed as well, please do not re-post this request. Watergirl, as a mod].

Thank You

Brooklyn Mom1

Tue, Jun 25 2019, 11:43 pm

Problem is that there is no exact age that is wears off. It varies between people. Most healthy adults aren't running for well check ups to see there vaccination status. If she get chicken pox like most of us did she will be immune for life and not have to worry.

challahchallah

Tue, Jun 25 2019, 11:46 pm

One additional possibility you should consider is that if someone had chicken pox as a child rather than the vaccine, they are at risk for shingles their entire life. While it mostly affects older adults, it’s also not particularly uncommon for young adults to get it. I personally know several people who got shingles in their 20’s-early 30’s, one of whom was unfortunately pregnant.

You are right that the data isn’t fully established for exactly how long the vaccine lasts. I get all of my titers checked roughly every 5 years and it’s no big deal. I’ve never lost immunity from a vaccine, but if I someday do, I’d get a booster.

amother

Red

Tue, Jun 25 2019, 11:50 pm

Brooklyn Mom1 wrote:

Not a problem. Tell her what your concerns are when she gets married, and send her a reminder every 5 years - or when there is a chickenpox outbreak.

amother

Yellow

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 12:04 am

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14970064

Study on the effectiveness of the vaccine. It's kind of a small study (339 participants) and only considered diagnosed varicella (between 1997-2003, I wonder how many parents would bring the child in for a diagnosis of chicken pox?).

Either way, it showed that the first year was 97% effective, 86% the following year, and 80-something% for the next few years.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14872179

That study claimed a much higher effectiveness rate, of 94-98% over 10 years (second number if two shots given).

Interesting article (still in the middle of reading): https://academic.oup.com/cid/a.....15677

southernbubby

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 12:25 am

The chicken pox usually comes out in the spring. I remember that erev Pesach when my kids had it. The oldest one was the sickest and the one who was only 2 when he got it developed shingles as a 24 year old newlywed.
You may have to wait until the chicken pox season rolls around but it looks easy to catch if a sick kid feels like having company.

itsmeima

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 1:38 am

The number one reason I give this vaccine is to protect the unprotected! Nowadays people live longer and there a lot more cancer survivors - this is the least I can do!

Then there's also shingles...

itsmeima

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 1:39 am

amother [ Yellow ] wrote:

People get shingles from the vaccine.

I know, because my friend's DD got shingles from the vaccine. Then all of my kids caught chicken pox from her.

A one person study Laugh

JoyInTheMorning

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 3:06 am

BrooklynMom1, the recommendation is to give the varicella vaccine to children and then again as a booster when they're around 18 and going away to college / yeshiva / seminary. There are many things we are supposed to get boosters for every 10 years, like Tdap. It is no big deal to get a booster.

In general, vaccination appears to be associated with a lower risk of shingles compared to having had actual chicken pox. From the CDC at https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/s.....html:

Quote:

Although not common among children, the rate of shingles in United States children has been declining since the routine varicella vaccination program began. Like the wild-type (natural) virus, the attenuated (weakened) vaccine virus can reactivate and cause shingles. However, children who get the chickenpox vaccine appear to have a much lower risk of shingles than children who were infected with wild-type chickenpox. Vaccinated children are less likely to become infected with wild-type chickenpox virus, which is more likely to reactivate as shingles compared to attenuated vaccine virus.

[edited to fix typo]

Last edited by JoyInTheMorning on Wed, Jun 26 2019, 6:03 am; edited 1 time in total

teachkids

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 3:08 am

They say you're more likely to get shingles later in life if you had full blown chicken pox rather than vaccine.

Also, my husband had chicken pox as a kid but was later find to be non-immune and had to get the shot. So natural immunity isn't fool-proof either.

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 4:29 am

Normally when one becomes pregnant or is ttc and goes to the gyn for first time they do a bloodtest to check your immunity. They also check for varicella zoster

I also think getting the vaccination is better than actually getting chickenpox because of the possibility of getting shingles later in life from chickenpox. Ask a dr about it
I didn't vaccinate my dd for this because it wasn't possible at the time and I regret it because my dh got shingles and it was not fun at all (it's the same virus)

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 4:33 am

Brooklyn Mom1 wrote:

Chicken Pox was a harmless disease we all got. I don't recall my mother purposely exposing anyone but we all got through it. At this point, it seems to be the only option. I don't want my child to worry about boosters all her life. If anyone whose child has chickenpox can please let me know, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank You

My dd had chickenpox a few months ago

amother

Honeydew

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 8:21 am

I remember having chicken pox as a kid and by one of my pregnancies I was told that my immunity waned. So those that think getting chicken pox provides lifetime immunity, that’s not always the case.

amother

Purple

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 8:59 am

My daughter just had chicken pox. It was the easiest thing my children were ever sick with and now she will be able to pass on real protection to her children iyh when hey are newborns and need it most. This also provided my whole family with natural boosters... my son I gave the vaccine to but for a girl I was told by many it is more beneficial to have the actual chicken pox. I know a few people who thought they were immune from the vaccine and still contracted it- better when they are young than when they are older. The NHS which is the health service of the UK strongly recommends all children get chicken pox because it is more beneficial for the child and the whole community. I retested my titers now and they jumped up a LOT after her having it - a natural shingles booster for all adults and life long immunity for her (a very tiny miniority won’t developer immunity but those people won’t develope it from the shot either - and the vaccine always wanes I don’t want to put my daughter at risk for getting it when she’s older as it’s bad then...)

itsmeima

Wed, Jun 26 2019, 11:04 am

amother [ Purple ] wrote:

Can you please explain the bolded...

Are you saying that if my mother had chicken pox I don't need the vaccine?