Should I worry about getting chicken pox?

[Lexie]

When my DD is old enough, I'd like to take her to a pox party.

My DH is likely covered...because he had CP before. Then he was vaccinated which gave it to him again, and then finally had it one more time at a later date. I assume the vaccine interfered with something? No idea really.

Anyway, I've never had it. I don't even know if I've ever been vaccinated for it. I'm 28 and grew up in the Caribbean. I could ask my mother to find my vaccination records, but she may not still have them. Either way, I think I'd like to have chicken pox...if only to assure lifelong immunity. I'd rather not get it at 70, you know what I mean? I eat as well as I can, consider myself very healthy. My resistance and immune response are pretty high. Should I get chicken pox, I would take megadoses of vitamin C for sure and do whatever else is necessary. I know we shouldn't avoid it in our children, but in ourselves? Should we actually be trying to get it even as adults before we get too old?

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

http://id.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/12/12.17/20011214clin008.html (http://id.medscape.com/reuters/prof/2001/12/12.17/20011214clin008.html)


Most Children With a Negative or Unknown Varicella History Are Immune.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Dec 14 - Contrary to widely held beliefs, most 10-year-old children with negative or unknown chickenpox histories are actually immune to varicella, according to a report by Canadian investigators.

Dr. Bernard Duval, from Laval University in Quebec, and colleagues assessed the age-specific incidence of varicella among 2227 fourth grade students. A subset of children with negative or unknown chickenpox histories were tested for anti-varicella antibodies.

The study was performed to determine the proportion of children that would need to be vaccinated in a catch-up program, the researchers state in the NOVEMBER issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

The reported cumulative incidence of chickenpox at 10 years of age was 92% the authors note. Furthermore, about half of the children developed chickenpox before entering kindergarten.

Of the childen with negative or unknown varicella histories 63% had antibodies against the virus. Children with an unknown history were significantly more likely than those with a negative history to harbor anti-varicella antibodies (p = 0.002). In addition, children whose history was obtained by self-administered questionnaire rather than by a study nurse were more likely to demonstrate such antibodies (p = 0.023).

If vaccination was based on the absence of a positive history of varicella, 8.4% of 10-year old children would require vaccination, the researchers note. However, the current findings indicate that nearly two thirds of children without a positive history are actually immune.

Prevaccination testing could identify children who are immune, but such testing could be difficult to implement and might reduce vaccine coverage. Follow-up telephone interview with parents who report negative or unknown histories for their children may help identify children who are actually immune.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11734718&dopt=Abstract (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11734718&dopt=Abstract)

Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2001 Nov;20(11):1087-8.


Related Articles, (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Display&dopt=pubmed_pubmed&from_uid=11734718&tool=ExternalSearch) Links (javascript:PopUpMenu2_Set(Menu11734718);)


Comment in:
· Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2003 Jul;22(7):672. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12867846)
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/utils/lofref.fcgi?PrId=3159&uid=11734718&db=PubMed&url=http://meta.wkhealth.com/pt/pt-core/template-journal/lwwgateway/media/landingpage.htm?issn=0891-3668&volume=20&issue=11&spage=1087)
Most ten-year-old children with negative or unknown histories of chickenpox are immune.

Boulianne N, Duval B, De Serres G, Deceuninck G, Masse R, Couillard M.

Institut National de Sante Publique du Quebec, Quebec, Canada. nicole.boulianne@ssss.gouv.qc.ca (nicole.boulianne@ssss.gouv.qc.ca)

To evaluate the proportion of children to vaccinate against varicella in a catch-up program targeting 9- to 10-year-old children, a study was conducted among children age 10 years to assess the age-specific incidence of varicella and document the immunity against varicella in those with negative or unknown chickenpox history. Of the latter 62% were seropositive for varicella.

PMID: 11734718 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Lexie]

Hmm...I wonder if perhaps it was a matter of immune mothers nursing them, sharing that with them. Not that it would matter for me since I ended up on soy formula quickly, but I'm curious by nature. :D

My cousins had chicken pox and I was around them briefly, but my mother was deathly afraid of me catching it, so you can imagine how short the exposure was.

First link didn't work, by the way, but thank you for the quote. :)

[Momtezuma Tuatara]

No I know. they've nuked it, but it still might be in cached...

I took this from my external hard-drive data base.

Your parents can only prevent exposure to people who they know had chickenpox. If it is infectious five days before the spots come out, as some texts say, then there could be innumberable people who children "rubbed noses" with metaphorically, who had chickenpox, and your parents wouldn't have known.

To me, the article is saying that those people who don't get symptoms, can still get natural immunity from exposure.

I don't think it has anything to do with breastfeeding. After all, over 70% of people who have immunity after adult exposure to hepatitis B, never had any symptoms to show for it either. And that's in the health professional's guide for hepatitis B put out by the NZ dept of health.

So why is there an assumption that you only get immunity, if you have discernable symptoms?

[Spy]

I am currently nursing my older son through a decent case of chickenpox (compared to a breeze of a case of his young brother about two weeks ago, whom I also nursed and definitely got exposed up to my ears, so to speak). I never had chickenpox before. Still waiting. From the 'first' exposure it has been 19 days so far. I guess I should start counting days from the second one. :LMAO:I actually will not be surprised if I never get it, but if I do I won't be surprised either. In fact, a couple days ago I was dead sure I am going down with it, but then I remembered that I started some homeopathic treatment on an unrelated issue and was definitely reacting to that, just didn't put two and two together fast enough. :o

[sarahmck]

My DH got it several months ago. Strangely, my DD didn't get it from exposure to kid after kid who had it at school, but then she did get it from her father. Anyway, he had it at 41 and it was definitely a miserable 6 days, but he got through it unscathed. If you get it, it won't be a picnic, but you'll be okay. Menthol powder is helpful.

[cartersmom]

I had CP at age 19..I guess considered an adult. I had it BAD!!!! But Im still here and none the worse for wear (except a few pox scars :p)

[3monkeys]

I have always wondered. We had chickenpox go around the Island a few years ago. The kids never got it. The the following year it went around again.... however this time my DD got an awful headache and lethergy and I was thinking this is it... she got 2 blisters, then nothing. However she did get molluscum contagiosum. I wonder if she got this INSTEAD of the chicken pox because i know they are very similar viruses. Both my other children have had it too. So I wonder if they will be immune to chicken pox? no doubt it will do the rounds again this year.

The year I was pg with Kate (2007) it went around again. I was on the major avoid that year cause I didnt need two kids and then a newborn with CPs. Just in the too hard basket. BUT, my friend who was due in the same week as me got it. And we had been around her and the kids quite a bit. I

Anyway I had a pretty decent dose as a kid so I am immune (I think) but I was wondering if the kids molluscum has created a chickenpox immunity. Esp as it started at the same time CP was going around? :shrug: who knows.....