Hilltop Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 One of my twin dds (6 years old) has the chickenpox. We chose not to vaccinate for chickenpox for various reasons and planned to revisit the idea of getting the vaccination if they didn't get the chickenpox before age 12. I was really hoping they would get the chickenpox before then and build a natural immunity. We just left the pediatrician's office. She strongly recommends that we vaccinate my dd that does not have chickenpox. The doctor said that her case will most likely be much worse because she is repeatedly exposed to the chickenpox virus from her twin sister. She said vaccinating her now would most likely decrease her symptoms. Has anyone had any experience with siblings getting chickenpox one after another with the latter case being much worse? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 When we got it here, two got it the first round, then the third got it from the first two. It was a little worse, but still not bad. I gave her lots of immune support, herbal antivirals and homeopathic rhus tox and sulphur - I think all of that may have helped it not be too severe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrainejmc Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Yes.:( My dd had only a few spots but ds was covered for weeks and quite ill. Ds the younger was only born but didn't get it. Chicken pox vaccine is not given in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Hmmm. I would *want* the other twin to get it. Lifelong immunity isn't something that the vax can duplicate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen in CO Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Hmmm. I would *want* the other twin to get it. Lifelong immunity isn't something that the vax can duplicate. Yep. My younger got chicken pox, but the older had been immunized (one dose). The older came down with it too and was worse than the younger who had no vax. If the other child manages to not get it, then I'd consider the vax for her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 She's already been exposed. Let her get the natural immunity. They have antiviral meds that will lessen the severity. Or you can give her black elderberry, which is also antiviral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristinaBreece Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 IDK what the current thinking is, but when my brothers got it (all 4 of them throughout the years-- and a cousin, too) they pretty much tied me to them in hopes that I would catch it as well. Apparently, I don't get CP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lorrainejmc Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 My kids had the chicken pox in April/May. Our oldest, 12, came down with them first. He had them much worse than our daughter. She is 9. He had a sore throat, head ache, runny nose, tons of spots, body aches, and fever. She ran a fever for day or two and had enough spots that we could say she had them, but that was it. In our case, it was not accurate that the 2nd child will have them worse. Our daughter couldn't figure out why her brother was so sick. She breezed through it. I think age might have had something to do with it, along with the fact that he had had sinus infection 4 times early this year and had been on antibiotics several times for that. That probably explains why my ds had it so bad. He had a lot antibiotics for ear and tonsil infections that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 My kids did not catch CP from one another, so no help there, but I don't know why the vax would help now. She has already been exposed, and it takes a couple of weeks to build up immunity from a vax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Hmmm. I would *want* the other twin to get it. Lifelong immunity isn't something that the vax can duplicate. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearMO Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 Yes.:( My dd had only a few spots but ds was covered for weeks and quite ill. Ds the younger was only born but didn't get it. Chicken pox vaccine is not given in the UK. If you consider vaccinating your son, who was a baby, do titers first, he may actually be immune from the exposure and just didn't get blisters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Hmmm. I would *want* the other twin to get it. Lifelong immunity isn't something that the vax can duplicate. Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and advice! I am going to pass on the vaccine for my other dd. I'm sending my dh to the health store this evening to get some black elderberry. Any other suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Thanks to everyone for sharing your experiences and advice! I am going to pass on the vaccine for my other dd. I'm sending my dh to the health store this evening to get some black elderberry. Any other suggestions? My friend whose kids had them right before me recommended an herbal antiviral combination formula from Nature's Sunshine brand called VS-C. Have no idea if it helped or not, but it made me feel like I was doing something for them... It does not have elderberry in it - I think I gave them kids' chewable elderberry on top of that. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudyJudyJudy Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Ds, who will be 13 in December, is now recovering from chickenpox. I started giving him L-lysine about three days after he started obviously breaking out. I really think it helped to reduce the length of time that he was miserable, and I just wish I had thought to give it to him earlier. He had a horrible time in the areas where he is prone to atopic dermatitis, and I think the L-lysine helped with that as well. I had shingles, which is where he got chickenpox. His breaking out was odd. He had one place under his eye about a week after I went into the hospital, and then five days later he had three spots, and then another day and a half later, he finally broke out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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