Looking for your thoughts on this situation.

[bettyandbob]

What the heck is a pox lollipop? One licked by the sick kid then handed out? :svengo:

 

yup. I was really grossed out when I first heard of that.

[Denisemomof4]

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I think it is absolutely idiotic to intentionally expose a child to a contagious disease.

 

My older son got CP naturally. My younger son who played with him all day and shared a room only got ONE bump. I had the pediatrician check his titers and found out that he was not immune to CP. I held off on the vaccine because it was so new and I did NOT want it given to my son yet. I chose to ezpose him instead but it didn't work.

 

By the time dd12 was due for it the vaccine had already been out for over a decade. I felt better about it. Dd9 will be getting it soon, too.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

:iagree: i would rather my kid get the virus than the vaccine for this one. I took my kid to someone's house where their chid had CP. They didn't get it anyw ay so got vaccinated when they went to school.

 

SMA, taking a kid out in public with CP like that would INFURIATE me. It could kill an older, non-vaccinated adult. I don't understand how anyone can do this.

 

What the heck is a pox lollipop? One licked by the sick kid then handed out? :svengo:

 

Actually, to be fair, now that I think about it, he may have been past the point of contagion. I just looked it up and it's possible they were in the safe zone. I thought as long as blisters were present, there was contagion, but it turns out you can have blisters for a long time but only have been contagious for the first 5-7 days. So I may not have all my facts straight (wouldn't be the first time!). I hope I was wrong :tongue_smilie:

 

And yes, the lollipops are just that. I'm no germophobe, but even I shudder at the idea of some other kid's sucked-on lollipop in my kid's mouth *blarf*

[Denisemomof4]

yup. I was really grossed out when I first heard of that.

 

SERIOUSLY??!!!!! I can NOT believe anyone would distribute them. Worse yet, to give one to your kid! That is just SO WRONG!!!! Who knows if there is somethng else going on which is even more dangerous?!

[Joker]

Yes it can be dangerous and yes children in this age group do die from it, including typically developing children who were healthy before they got the disease. I guess you didn't read my post on the first age.

 

Most children do not develop a fatal or near fatal case, but they can. I think a lot of people take the disease too lightly.

 

:iagree:My older dd had a serious reaction to her first CP vaccine and no dr. today will give her the booster. I honestly can't imagine someone being exposed and hanging out with my dd. I would be livid.

[Denisemomof4]

Actually, to be fair, now that I think about it, he may have been past the point of contagion. I just looked it up and it's possible they were in the safe zone. I thought as long as blisters were present, there was contagion, but it turns out you can have blisters for a long time but only have been contagious for the first 5-7 days. So I may not have all my facts straight (wouldn't be the first time!). I hope I was wrong :tongue_smilie:

 

And yes, the lollipops are just that. I'm no germophobe, but even I shudder at the idea of some other kid's sucked-on lollipop in my kid's mouth *blarf*

 

I actually thought of that after I responded, that they were likely no longer contagious. I do remember my oldest son having itchy bumps for many weeks.

 

But the lollipop thing totally SHOCKS me!!!!! What will be next? CP chewing gum? :banghead:

[ms3mama]

My children all had chicken pox this past spring to varying degrees. I have no idea where we got it but I did have a friend come over with her children to get it out of the way. It was her idea and the children just played for a while, no sharing of food, drink items. My children are (girls) 14, 12, and 10 (boys) 6 and 2. The 2 year old is still nursing and got like 3 pox but the others had a lot everywhere, eyes, mouth, ears, genitals. They did really well with them though. They felt the worst before they even showed up, fever, very tired and not hungry. It took about a month to go through 5 children because they didnt all get it at the same time. It wasn't easy but we are all (children included) happy to have had it and now to have natural immunity. I do have other homeschooling families tell me they wish they would have known we had it because they would have wanted to come over but other than the family that asked we did not go out and spread it, I dont think thats right to expose anyone to anything without them knowing, even a cold.

[Rivka]

I question whether these people who are deliberately exposing their children to chicken pox are then going to quarantine them until they find out whether it "took." After all, you can be infectious and shedding virus before there are any visible pox.

 

Somehow I doubt it. For some reason, people who want to go back to the good old days before we had vaccines don't seem to want to take on the strict quarantine control that went along with those days. It seems more like an attitude of "yay, these diseases are benign, so no worries!"

 

I remember an epic debate on another forum when someone whose kid was breaking out with CP was trying to decide whether to take her trick-or-treating. A surprising number of people didn't see anything wrong with going door-to-door exposing dozens of total strangers to a virus that could have enormous consequences for the elderly, the immunocompromised, or pregnant women.

[Denisemomof4]

I purposely exposed my youngest to chicken pox when a friend's ds had them. My dd is under-vax'ed because of life-threatening reactions to vaccines. I am happy she has had chicken pox, but I was quite surprised when my fully vax'ed older dd came down with them just as strongly as her younger sister did. Yes, she had 2 doses of the vaccine before exposure to the "wild" virus.

 

I'm old. I had chicken pox on my birthday when I was little because my cousin had them two weeks before and all my relatives brought all their kids over so we could all get them during the summer and no one would have to miss school.

 

I started to write about hearing about kids coming down with CP after vaccinations but stopped because I didn't remember the details. THIS bothers me!

[Denisemomof4]

 

I remember an epic debate on another forum when someone whose kid was breaking out with CP was trying to decide whether to take her trick-or-treating. A surprising number of people didn't see anything wrong with going door-to-door exposing dozens of total strangers to a virus that could have enormous consequences for the elderly, the immunocompromised, or pregnant women.

 

:smash::smash::smash::smash::smash:

[mom2samlibby]

:iagree:My older dd had a serious reaction to her first CP vaccine and no dr. today will give her the booster. I honestly can't imagine someone being exposed and hanging out with my dd. I would be livid.

 

How would you know??? My son got chicken pox at Wed. night church. My son was 12, the other child was 4. They only had contact in passing. I didn't realize that was where he got it until Two weeks later when both he and another child were absent from chicken pox. My son came down with it five days after being exposed to it, but we didn't know he was exposed until he got spots. The kid he got it from had been vaccinated. Mine had not.

[Desert Rat]

I question whether these people who are deliberately exposing their children to chicken pox are then going to quarantine them until they find out whether it "took." After all, you can be infectious and shedding virus before there are any visible pox.

 

Somehow I doubt it. For some reason, people who want to go back to the good old days before we had vaccines don't seem to want to take on the strict quarantine control that went along with those days. It seems more like an attitude of "yay, these diseases are benign, so no worries!"

 

I remember an epic debate on another forum when someone whose kid was breaking out with CP was trying to decide whether to take her trick-or-treating. A surprising number of people didn't see anything wrong with going door-to-door exposing dozens of total strangers to a virus that could have enormous consequences for the elderly, the immunocompromised, or pregnant women.

 

This is what worries me.

And what really bothers me about intentionally getting a child sick or exposing them to an illness just so they will get sick is this:

 

If I am at a store/school/park and my children are exposed to chicken pox, that I consider as an accidental exposure. If my child gets serious ill or dies, it was an accident. I wouldn't blame myself. If I take my healthy child to a pox party, he gets seriously and/or dies, it is competely, utterly, totally my fault. Completely. I could never live myself.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Kalah

[Joker]

How would you know??? My son got chicken pox at Wed. night church. My son was 12, the other child was 4. They only had contact in passing. I didn't realize that was where he got it until Two weeks later when both he and another child were absent from chicken pox. My son came down with it five days after being exposed to it, but we didn't know he was exposed until he got spots. The kid he got it from had been vaccinated. Mine had not.

 

I was talking about what is mentioned in the OP. Those that go to CP parties to expose their kids. It's been mentioned before on this board about it not being a big deal and some don't see it as a problem. Obviously, I wouldn't be livid with someone who didn't know their child was exposed.

[Desert Rat]

I was talking about what is mentioned in the OP. Those that go to CP parties to expose their kids. It's been mentioned before on this board about it not being a big deal and some don't see it as a problem. Obviously, I wouldn't be livid with someone who didn't know their child was exposed.

 

:iagree:

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

This is what worries me.

And what really bothers me about intentionally getting a child sick or exposing them to an illness just so they will get sick is this:

 

If I am at a store/school/park and my children are exposed to chicken pox, that I consider as an accidental exposure. If my child gets serious ill or dies, it was an accident. I wouldn't blame myself. If I take my healthy child to a pox party, he gets seriously and/or dies, it is competely, utterly, totally my fault. Completely. I could never live myself.

 

Well, but I think this is one of those calculated risk scenarios. If I don't believe vaccinations are safe, and I don't actively take steps to have my kid contract CP as a child, and they contract it as a teen or an adult, when it is generally considered to be much worse and more dangerous, and my child dies or suffers greatly, then I would consider it entirely my own fault as well. The same goes for choosing to vax as well. Some kids have serious reactions to vaccines. If I opted to get my child vaxed, thinking I was making the right and safe choice, and my child reacted and died, I would still consider it totally my fault. You can view it that way from any side of the scenario.

 

CP can be dangerous for young children, and it can be dangerous for older teens/adults/seniors. Vaxes can also be dangerous for young children, as well as teens/adults/seniors. The perception of culpability is all up to the parents who calculate the risk and make the decision, I think.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Sweet Morning Air

[Desert Rat]

Well, but I think this is one of those calculated risk scenarios. If I don't believe vaccinations are safe, and I don't actively take steps to have my kid contract CP as a child, and they contract it as a teen or an adult, when it is generally considered to be much worse and more dangerous, and my child dies or suffers greatly, then I would consider it entirely my own fault as well. The same goes for choosing to vax as well. Some kids have serious reactions to vaccines. If I opted to get my child vaxed, thinking I was making the right and safe choice, and my child reacted and died, I would still consider it totally my fault. You can view it that way from any side of the scenario.

 

CP can be dangerous for young children, and it can be dangerous for older teens/adults/seniors. Vaxes can also be dangerous for young children, as well as teens/adults/seniors. The perception of culpability is all up to the parents who calculate the risk and make the decision, I think.

 

Exactly. For me the risk of exposure isn't worth it. I completely understand other people's reasons for not vaxing. And I understand my own beliefs are motivated by my dad's polio.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Kalah

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Exactly. For me the risk of exposure isn't worth it. I completely understand other people's reasons for not vaxing. And I understand my own beliefs are motivated by my dad's polio.

 

I don't disagree with you. I'm the only person in my circle of HSing friends who vaxes. It can get pretty uncomfortable at the dinner table sometimes! :tongue_smilie:

 

I do firmly believe that vaxing is the better bet; that said, however, my dad works for big pharma, and he has said that if he had to choose now, knowing what he knows, he doesn't know that he'd choose vaxing. IYKWIM. So I can see both sides (from a mom guilt perspective).

[Mandy in TN]

Yes, I have heard of this. When there was no vaccine, people did this all the time. I had cp and don't remember it at all. Both of my big boys had cp. They were 6 and 4. The oldest has very fond memories of having cp. My mom took off work and spent a day with him. He remembers being treated like a prince and getting to spend all day with his Gigi. The second doesn't remember it at all.

 

I wish my youngest would have had cp. He has not had the cp vaccine, but if he doesn't have them soon I will probably go ahead and have him vaccinated. Even last year I would have considered exposing him on purpose. Now, I think not. He is older. We are busier. Now he would remember it and miss numerous scheduled activities. Yeah, I guess we should go ahead and get that vaccine.

 

Mandy

[Desert Rat]

I don't disagree with you. I'm the only person in my circle of HSing friends who vaxes. It can get pretty uncomfortable at the dinner table sometimes! :tongue_smilie:

 

I do firmly believe that vaxing is the better bet; that said, however, my dad works for big pharma, and he has said that if he had to choose now, knowing what he knows, he doesn't know that he'd choose vaxing. IYKWIM. So I can see both sides (from a mom guilt perspective).

 

Thank you for this. I do feel abnormal sometimes. And sometimes I get angry at other people's choices even though I completely understand them on a philisophical level and I completely agree with people's right to choose. I think I wouldn't be so angry if I hadn't just lost my dad. He got polio in 1950. He missed the vaccine by 1 year. 1 stinkin' year.

[Catwoman]

I had a friend's husband get it at 22 and it was AWFUL, really the worse case the Dr. had ever seen.

 

If this happened recently, why didn't the guy just get a prescription for a medication like Zovirax? That's what I did, and my chicken pox was not a big deal at all at age 35. Without the Zovirax, it may have been a very different story (or not -- I have no way of knowing!)

[Shellers]

It's common among non-vax people. :001_smile:I'd take my kids to one. I'd rather them have it while they were young, and have a natural immunity to it for adulthood.:001_smile:

 

Same here! My three girls have all had chicken pox but my 12 year old DS still hasn't caught it.

[Catwoman]

This is what worries me.

And what really bothers me about intentionally getting a child sick or exposing them to an illness just so they will get sick is this:

 

If I am at a store/school/park and my children are exposed to chicken pox, that I consider as an accidental exposure. If my child gets serious ill or dies, it was an accident. I wouldn't blame myself. If I take my healthy child to a pox party, he gets seriously and/or dies, it is competely, utterly, totally my fault. Completely. I could never live myself.

 

:iagree: It's not a requirement that everyone get chicken pox as a child. It just isn't. Teens and adults get it all the time, and as long as they go to the doctor for medication, their risk of any kind of serious consequences is very low. I don't understand why anyone would intentionally do something to risk their child's health now so they can prevent them from getting a treatable illness in the future. Besides, there are plenty of people who never, ever get chicken pox.

 

I'm conservative this way. Someone attending the pox party is supposed to come to my house this weekend for my dh's birthday. I am now stuck in the awkward spot of telling her she can't come if she exposes her children tomorrow. I hate being in that position but I'm not just thinking of my own children and myself. I'm thinking of the 20+ people who will be in attendence. I don't know their medical history. I don't know if the kids are vaxed. I'm not risking everyone over what may be deemed as "a harmless childhood disease".

 

On the behalf of the 20 people who will be at your house the weekend, I would like to thank you for being so concerned about this chicken pox party thing. I know it will be awkward for you to tell the person who will be exposing her kids to the illness that she can't come to your party, but you are absolutely, positively doing the right thing by telling her exactly that.

 

Good for you!!! :thumbup:

[Desert Rat]

On the behalf of the 20 people who will be at your house the weekend, I would like to thank you for being so concerned about this chicken pox party thing. I know it will be awkward for you to tell the person who will be exposing her kids to the illness that she can't come to your party, but you are absolutely, positively doing the right thing by telling her exactly that.

 

Good for you!!! :thumbup:

 

I can't tell you how much this means to me, Cat. I know I'm doing the right thing. I knew that before I posted the thread. But, we all sometimes need that external validation. I loathe confrontation. I value her friendship and this is the only topic we really differ on. It's going to be a tough conversation. But one that I think is worth it.

[gaillardia]

The problem with cp virus is the length of time it takes for the skin to break out. You could be contagious and not know it and be spreading it all over the place.

Having a party to spread it out of choice...I would choose not to attend.

I would choose to stay away from the people in the group, unless of course my kids already had cp. They have had cp, which they acquired through natural means. One though, was exposed and had it mildly as an infant, 2 wks. old, then later has had shingles. That has not been fun.

It seems like cp crops up in the fall and the spring.

PASS THE BEAN DIP.:lol:

[Ravin]

I can't see going out of my way to expose my kids. But then, we delay/selective vax. If DD doesn't catch it in the next year or two, we'll get her vaxed. DH had it at 14 (post-puberty) and had an awful, awful case.

 

I do get the logic, though.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Thank you for this. I do feel abnormal sometimes. And sometimes I get angry at other people's choices even though I completely understand them on a philisophical level and I completely agree with people's right to choose. I think I wouldn't be so angry if I hadn't just lost my dad. He got polio in 1950. He missed the vaccine by 1 year. 1 stinkin' year.

 

I am really sorry to hear that :grouphug: I totally see how that would affect your view of the whole thing. And I feel the same way about the issue. I completely support people's right to choose for their own children, but that doesn't mean I don't have my own opinion about it and what it means for the rest of the population. I don't ever talk vaxing, unschooling vs. more formal HSing, or politics in real life!

 

I missed the part about where you have to tell someone not to come to your party. I absolutely would tell your friend that she can't bring the kids. I completely support her right make her decision about it. I also enforce my right to protect my kids/friends/family in the way I deem necessary. Doesn't make it any easier to have the conversation, of course :( I bet your friend will understand, though.

[TarynB]

It bothers me that there seems to be a misconception that once you've had chicken pox, you are suddenly "immune" and "protected". This is untrue.

 

**ETA: This has nothing to do with vax or no vax. The misconception I've witnessed is when people intentionally seek exposure to actual chicken pox, in the belief that it will "protect" them in the future. I'm not sure what they're "protecting" against, because then the door is open to shingles. People may develop shingles (which can be much more serious and long-lasting than chicken pox) after they've had chicken pox. Shingles is when the chicken pox virus gets "reactivated" in your body. Having chicken pox does not protect you from shingles, but some people believe that it does. The opposite is actually true. Having chicken pox "allows" the potential for shingles later on. We were told by our doctor that if you are never exposed to varicella zoster/chicken pox (either through actual CP or vax), then you cannot get shingles. So why expose on purpose (when you may never get CP on your own) and take the risk of shingles?**

 

My dad developed shingles recently, and it left him blind in one eye after the virus attacked his optic nerve. Many people he has talked to about it have the impression that if you've had chicken pox then you can't get shingles, but it's actually the opposite - if you had chicken pox as a kid, you CAN get shingles later.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Kay_ks

[Desert Rat]

It bothers me that there seems to be a misconception that once you've had chickenpox, you are suddenly "immune" and "protected". This is untrue.

 

Shingles can be much, much worse than the complications from chicken pox, and shingles occurs in people who had chickenpox (varicella zoster virus) earlier in life. Often, shingles progresses so quickly the sick person can't even get medication in time to do much good.

 

My dad developed shingles recently, and it left him blind in one eye after the virus attacked his optic nerve. Many people he has talked to about it have the impression that if you've had chicken pox then you can't get shingles, but it's actually the opposite.

 

Thank you for posting, Kay. I agree with you. I'm so afraid of shingles because I understand that you are more susceptible when you are under a lot of stress (and I won't even begin to explain all the stress in my life right now). It is a comfort when I researched that you don't actually get shingles from a second exposure to chicken pox. But I'm still yumpy.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

It bothers me that there seems to be a misconception that once you've had chickenpox, you are suddenly "immune" and "protected". This is untrue.

 

Shingles can be much, much worse than the complications from chicken pox, and shingles occurs in people who had chickenpox (varicella zoster virus) earlier in life. Often, shingles progresses so quickly the sick person can't even get medication in time to do much good.

 

My dad developed shingles recently, and it left him blind in one eye after the virus attacked his optic nerve. Many people he has talked to about it have the impression that if you've had chicken pox then you can't get shingles, but it's actually the opposite.

 

I thought the risk of shingles was about the same whether you'd had actual CP or the vax? Now I have to go look that up.

 

ETA: This is interesting.

 

http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features/shingles-chickenpox?page=2

 

A study by the CDC and other scientists confirmed that since 1993, the incidence of shingles has nearly doubled in the adult U.S. population. One explanation for the increase has to do with the universal vaccination of children against chickenpox. According to this theory, because most children no longer get chickenpox disease (which used to be a ritual of childhood), their parents no longer get the immunological “boost” that comes from being exposed to the virus while caring for sick children.

 

“The best explanation for the increase is that we used to get a subclinical boost when we were exposed to the chickenpox virus as adults,” said William Schaffner, MD, a pediatrician and vaccine expert at Vanderbilt University. “Because of widespread immunization, that’s not happening.”

 

But there are some reasons to doubt that childhood chickenpox shots are responsible for the uptick in shingles. In their study, Bialek and colleagues found that shingles was on the rise even before the chickenpox vaccine was licensed for children in 1995. Also, adults in states with mandatory chickenpox immunization didn’t have higher rates of shingles than those in states where children weren’t as well-vaccinated, and therefore more likely to get sick and provide immune boosters to parents and grandparents.

 

Still reading...

Edited October 23, 2012 by Sweet Morning Air

[Reflections]

Even vaccinated kids can get the cp. My dd was vaxd for cp and then caught it later - around age 8. The dr. was NOT surprised.

 

I had never heard of cp parties until we moved here. My first thought was "Ewwwww".

 

I think that the friend who is still coming to your party after exposing her children is irresponsible and I am very sorry she is putting you in an uncomfortable position. :grouphug: Some people just don't think.

[TarynB]

I thought the risk of shingles was about the same whether you'd had actual CP or the vax? Now I have to go look that up.

 

ETA: This is interesting.

 

http://www.webmd.com/vaccines/features/shingles-chickenpox?page=2

 

 

 

Still reading...

 

Sorry, I have no idea about the stats on developing shingles after actual CP vs. after vax . . .

 

I was just trying to say (not very clearly) that having actual CP as a youngster does NOT protect against shingles later in life. Since I hadn't seen that mentioned yet I was just chiming in. Some people seem to mistakenly believe that having actual CP prevents shingles later on, i.e., they say that their kid is "immune" after having CP, but that is untrue.

Edited October 23, 2012 by Kay_ks

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

Sorry, I have no idea about the stats on developing shingles following actual CP vs. following vax . . .

 

I was just trying to say that having exposure to actual CP as a youngster does NOT protect against shingles later in life. Some people seem to mistakenly believe that having actual CP prevents shingles later on.

 

Ah, gotcha. I'm trying to figure it out myself. I'm seeing different things depending on which side is writing, and then there was this one British article that seemed to keep contradicting itself :confused: I might just be too tired for statistics tonight :tongue_smilie:

[Incognito]

Shingles is the chicken pox virus (which lives in your body forever after you have it). Under stress it can rear it's ugly head and you get a very painful disease (which can cause damage).

 

The reason there is more shingles, and younger, is very likely because our bodies are not getting those little exposures and challenges every once in a while that keep our immune systems fighting the virus.

 

ETA: As far as your party goes - I would hope your friend would understand. I don't know if you are looking for a way to approach it, but I would approach it as a conversation assuming your friend was not coming and talk with her about another time in a few weeks that you would like to get together with her instead.

[TranquilMind]

First, let me clarify this is not a vaccination/anti-vax thread. I think that's been covered enough here. Please do not turn it into an argument about vaccinations.

 

A person in a local homeschool group of which I am a member has a child with chicken pox. She has posted that she is having a playdate tomorrow for anyone who would like to expose their children to the chicken pox virus with the intent that they will get it also.

 

What do you think of this?

 

If you don't vaccinate, is this a common idea in non-vaccinating circles? Are there other viruses that people also encourage exposure to besides chicken pox?

 

I would really appreciate your CIVIL input. Again, this is not another vaccination thread. This is situation specific.

 

I would like to see if my reaction is appropriate for this situation.

 

I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

 

I heard it does happen. I have known no one personally who did this.

 

My kids got chicken pox from a kid at co-op that had just been vaccinated (it is a live vaccine and recipients shed for days or weeks). One barely got ill, the other got a pretty bad case. The good news is that a real case of chicken pox provides lifelong immunity; the vaccine does not.

 

I never even had the chicken pox and I am fully immune and was able to take care of my kids. We did a titer since I was in my 40's, to be sure.

 

So my take is to each his own. I wouldn't actually go to a party like this knowingly, because I'm kind of risk averse. But now, after the fact, I am glad my kids have lifelong immunity. So I guess you have to choose your comfort zone.

[TranquilMind]

Tjej;Shingles is the chicken pox virus (which lives in your body forever after you have it). Under stress it can rear it's ugly head and you get a very painful disease (which can cause damage).

 

The reason there is more shingles, and younger, is very likely because our bodies are not getting those little exposures and challenges every once in a while that keep our immune systems fighting the virus.

 

 

This is absolutely true, and very worrisome. Older people are not getting the little boost that they used to get from exposure to kids and grandkids.

[TranquilMind]

The CP vac is still fairly new and I have a feeling that we are going to end up with a lot of adults getting really bad cases of CP when their vac wears off.

 

This concerns me a lot.

[sewingmama]

And what really bothers me about intentionally getting a child sick or exposing them to an illness just so they will get sick is this:

 

If I am at a store/school/park and my children are exposed to chicken pox, that I consider as an accidental exposure. If my child gets serious ill or dies, it was an accident. I wouldn't blame myself. If I take my healthy child to a pox party, he gets seriously and/or dies, it is competely, utterly, totally my fault. Completely. I could never live myself.

 

:iagree: This is my stance -I'm not about to purposely expose my child to any virus deemed necessary to have a vax for. I had the worst case of measles when I was a kid -even though I was vaxxed. It's turned me off wanting the experience for my kids ;)

 

The main purpose for getting a vax is so your body is exposed to the disease in smaller (considered safe) doses and can form an immunity so if you really are exposed by accident your body will be able to identify and kill off the virus before it becomes the disease. Obviously people still do get the disease even after being vax'd but that doesn't mean that the vax "didn't work" only that the body did not sensitise enough to detect and destroy the virus in time or that the virus exposure you got was just too large to be fought off.

 

I know a little 5 yo old girl who died with complications from CP (pneumonia which is the most common). It isn't something I want to expose my child to on purpose BUT I understand and don't judge parents who feel differently.

 

I do judge parents who choose not to keep their obviously sick kid away from mine though - yes my kid is vax'd but I know it isn't 100% foolproof - there is still a chance they could get it anyway. I got them vax'd because I don't want them to get it - so keep your sick kid at home please.

[TranquilMind]

FYI, my sister went to a Rubella party for girls in the 50s. They were worried about not being immune before childbearing. It was thrown by a nurse at a fancy girl's college who was ancient and too out of it to know that, as my sister put it, "by 1959 the guys were not insisting on a virgin for a bride."

 

Interesting. I never heard that, though I do know it used to be required in my state that you verify vaccination for Rubella.

[TranquilMind]

I'm conservative this way. Someone attending the pox party is supposed to come to my house this weekend for my dh's birthday. I am now stuck in the awkward spot of telling her she can't come if she exposes her children tomorrow. I hate being in that position but I'm not just thinking of my own children and myself. I'm thinking of the 20+ people who will be in attendence. I don't know their medical history. I don't know if the kids are vaxed. I'm not risking everyone over what may be deemed as "a harmless childhood disease".

 

I think you are right to do this. Awkward position to be in, though. She should totally ask your opinion before coming to your house after exposure, but she probably won't think of it or believe it is a concern.

[TranquilMind]

CP can be dangerous for young children, and it can be dangerous for older teens/adults/seniors. Vaxes can also be dangerous for young children, as well as teens/adults/seniors. The perception of culpability is all up to the parents who calculate the risk and make the decision, I think.

 

Exactly.

[TranquilMind]

Thank you for this. I do feel abnormal sometimes. And sometimes I get angry at other people's choices even though I completely understand them on a philisophical level and I completely agree with people's right to choose. I think I wouldn't be so angry if I hadn't just lost my dad. He got polio in 1950. He missed the vaccine by 1 year. 1 stinkin' year.

 

 

I'm so sorry.

[TranquilMind]

If this happened recently, why didn't the guy just get a prescription for a medication like Zovirax? That's what I did, and my chicken pox was not a big deal at all at age 35. Without the Zovirax, it may have been a very different story (or not -- I have no way of knowing!)

 

You can't use Zovirax unless it is within a 72 hour window, if I recall correctly. Otherwise, it is too late and the doctor won't prescribe it.

[TranquilMind]

Same here! My three girls have all had chicken pox but my 12 year old DS still hasn't caught it.

 

He might still be immune though, just from the close exposure. I was, and my Mom was. Neither of us ever had the CP, at least in any visible way.

[TranquilMind]

The problem with cp virus is the length of time it takes for the skin to break out. You could be contagious and not know it and be spreading it all over the place.

 

 

This is true too. Those spreading natural chicken pox all over the place don't even know they are about to come down with it.

[joannqn]

If I am at a store/school/park and my children are exposed to chicken pox, that I consider as an accidental exposure. If my child gets serious ill or dies, it was an accident. I wouldn't blame myself. If I take my healthy child to a pox party, he gets seriously and/or dies, it is competely, utterly, totally my fault. Completely. I could never live myself.

 

I'm conservative this way. Someone attending the pox party is supposed to come to my house this weekend for my dh's birthday. I am now stuck in the awkward spot of telling her she can't come if she exposes her children tomorrow. I hate being in that position but I'm not just thinking of my own children and myself. I'm thinking of the 20+ people who will be in attendence. I don't know their medical history. I don't know if the kids are vaxed. I'm not risking everyone over what may be deemed as "a harmless childhood disease".

This is how I feel about vaccines. If we authorize vaccination for our children and experience permanent damage or die from it, we are 100% to blame. If they came down with a disease naturally and died, their deaths were naturally occurring.

 

 

It bothers me that there seems to be a misconception that once you've had chickenpox, you are suddenly "immune" and "protected". This is untrue.

 

Shingles can be much, much worse than the complications from chicken pox, and shingles occurs in people who had chickenpox (varicella zoster virus) earlier in life. Often, shingles progresses so quickly the sick person can't even get medication in time to do much good.

 

Most who make a conscious choice not to vaccinate are pretty well informed, in my experience. It isn't a choice made lightly. I an very aware of the risk of shingles. I'm also aware that shingles have been on the rise since the vaccine was made available. I'm more concerned about shingles post vaccination.

 

As far as the party guests go, it might not be a problem. Chicken pox has an incubation between 7 and 21 days and you are contagious a couple of days before the spots appear. The kids may not be contagious in time for the party.

 

We exposed our younger kids in hours they would bring it home to the older kids. Yes, we quarantined them for 21 days; they never got it. Now I have a post-puberty kid with neither getting the pox nor the vaccine. It's difficult because I'm concerned about it but also have the concerns about side effects (we have family history that would increase their risks of side effects) and a have moral issues with the Cp vaccine specifically.

[TarynB]

Most who make a conscious choice not to vaccinate are pretty well informed, in my experience. It isn't a choice made lightly. I an very aware of the risk of shingles. I'm also aware that shingles have been on the rise since the vaccine was made available. I'm more concerned about shingles post vaccination.

 

Oh, I agree with you. My post wasn't about vax or no vax, at all. My point was that some people I've known have sought intentional exposure to actual chicken pox, thinking that there is some benefit to having chicken pox at a certain, known time, getting it "over with", etc. In my experience, some people are unaware of the risk of shingles and/or mistakenly believe that if they have chicken pox, then they can't get shingles later. That's all. :)

 

Now I have a post-puberty kid with neither getting the pox nor the vaccine.

IMHO, perhaps his situation is ideal? If he hasn't had chicken pox nor the vax, then he has no potential for shingles??? (which would be much worse than chicken pox as an adult)? We can hope so! Edited October 23, 2012 by Kay_ks

[Matryoshka]

I purposely exposed my youngest to chicken pox when a friend's ds had them. My dd is under-vax'ed because of life-threatening reactions to vaccines. I am happy she has had chicken pox, but I was quite surprised when my fully vax'ed older dd came down with them just as strongly as her younger sister did. Yes, she had 2 doses of the vaccine before exposure to the "wild" virus.

 

And this is why I brought my kids to a pox party. If the vax had been around for decades and was 100% effective through adulthood, then I'd probably just get them vax'd. I selectively vax.

 

But it can be so much more serious and potentially deadly as adults. This is why I carefully monitored them, made sure they didn't scratch, carefully cared for any large pox to ensure they didn't get infected, and gave them lots of immune support and antivirals to do my best to make sure their cases were less severe.

 

I would have gotten them vax'd if they didn't get a wild case by adolescence, but I feel much better than they will never have to worry about it as adults.

 

And yes, they stayed home from everything for the entire incubation period, as much as a pain as that was. I would never knowingly even potentially expose anyone to something. There are always people who you don't realize are immune compromised or for some other reason really shouldn't be exposed.

[Matryoshka]

Oh, I agree with you. My post wasn't about vax or no vax, at all. My point was that some people I've known have sought intentional exposure to actual chicken pox, thinking that there is some benefit to having chicken pox at a certain, known time, getting it "over with", etc. In my experience, some people are unaware of the risk of shingles and/or mistakenly believe that if they have chicken pox, then they can't get shingles later. That's all. :)

 

There is a shingles booster shot. Good idea for all; the vaccine also does not prevent you from getting shingles. I think part of the reason more people are getting shingles is the lack of natural re-exposure that acts as a natural booster.

[Saddlemomma]

I'm one of those who got CP when I was older. I was 16. My brother, who was 10 at the time brought them home. He only got 6 little spots and was barely sick.

 

For me, it was the worst thing I could imagine at that point. I swelled up like a balloon, had a high fever and had them in every orifice, and they covered every square inch of my skin. I was sick for 3 weeks. My mother thought I would never look the same again.

 

Therefore, although I don't like vaccinations and would rather our natural immune system fight things off, I made a compromise: I would wait and see if dd would get CP until her 10th birthday, if not, she would be vaccinated during her next checkup after her 10th birthday.

 

My dd will be 10 next month and I've already informed her she WILL be getting the vaccine with her next physical.

 

If I had received that invitation prior to now, I may have gone to the party; however, I would rather take my chances with the vaccine now that she's getting older than risk her getting them like I did.

[Impish]

My GP when I was growing up hosted a pox party for neighbour kids.