Chickenpox and Shingles... Questions

[Heather in Neverland]

THE FACTS:

 

My dh got shingles while recovering from his motorcycle accident. It was awful!

 

My children are all vaccinated against chickenpox (except dd who has only had the first shot and won't get the 2nd until she is 4).

 

We host a book club once a month and it is this Sunday.

 

One of the families that comes has three little girls and one of them has chickenpox right now. She is just starting to scab over. The other two girls do not show signs of it yet.

 

 

 

THE QUESTION:

 

Will exposing my dh to a child recovering from chickenpox cause another shingles outbreak in him? I am also not jazzed about the idea of any of my kids getting chickenpox. Being vaccinated, it is less likely but not guaranteed. And her other daughters may have chickenpox but it just hasn't shown up yet. I know it won't kill them but I just don't have the mental energy to deal with it right now if I don't have to.

 

Can you carry and expose others to the virus but not get chickenpox yourself? Like if her dh stays home with the kids and only the wife comes, can she be a carrier and expose my dh and kids?

 

Obviously, i am not well-versed in the intricacies of the chicken pox virus. :)

[dbmamaz]

you cant 'catch' shingles. Shingles is when the virus already in your body comes back out to play, usually because your immune system is somewhat suppressed. Its a herpes virus - so when you have shingles, its like a herpes outbreak on someone who already has it . . it goes dormant, it comes back. You cant catch it again once you've had it. does that make any sense?

[Parrothead]

Everything I've heard says that the reason shingles is so prevalent now is because adults are not exposed to chicken pox like they used to be before the vax. So I would think exposure would help keep shingles from popping out again instead of being the cause of an outbreak.

[Heather in Neverland]

you cant 'catch' shingles. Shingles is when the virus already in your body comes back out to play, usually because your immune system is somewhat suppressed. Its a herpes virus - so when you have shingles, its like a herpes outbreak on someone who already has it . . it goes dormant, it comes back. You cant catch it again once you've had it. does that make any sense?

 

 

I know he won't technically "catch" it from the girls. I was wondering if it would trigger an outbreak due to the fact that it is already in his system.

[Lara in Colo]

Everything I've heard says that the reason shingles is so prevalent now is because adults are not exposed to chicken pox like they used to be before the vax. So I would think exposure would help keep shingles from popping out again instead of being the cause of an outbreak.

 

 

 

this, and his immune system should be better now as well.

 

If he is feeling poorly, or overly stressed, I would worry.

[Starr]

If she's just starting to scab over she should stay home. Someone in your group may not have had chicken pox and vaccinations don't last forever. Not everyone has had the booster vaccination. And it's likely the rest are coming down with them about now as well.

[skeeterbug]

 

 

I know he won't technically "catch" it from the girls. I was wondering if it would trigger an outbreak due to the fact that it is already in his system.

 

No. Being exposed to chicken pox does not trigger an outbreak of shingles. I looked into this when my parents were visiting and my kids had chicken pox. I didn't want my father to get shingles again, but everything I read said it is not triggered this way.

[skeeterbug]

I'm not sure about the carrier aspect, but the kids should be isolated until the incubation period is over. This is several weeks and is annoying but needs to be done since the siblings could be coming down with it. It was a good two weeks between my kids. And starting to scab over is still contagious.

 

I tried googling the carrier question but the answers go both ways so I don't know what to believe.

[Heather in Neverland]

Thanks ladies. I think we may reschedule the book club. I don't need the stress and I don't want to take any chances!

[Mom in High Heels]

Ack, my dad just got over a case of shingles that lasted 4 months! He was so miserable, but they just would not go away. I know shingles isn't catching and I don't think you can get it again after you've had it.

 

I someone had a kid with chickenpox, they need to keep that kid and themselves at home as much as possible and NOT go out into social situations until the incubation period is over. I would absolutely reschedule. Ick!

 

I've never had chicken pox and neither has my mom, because somehow we are immune to them naturally, though we've both had the immunization. My mom has 9 siblings and when she was a kid every one of them got chicken pox except her. She said she even tried rubbing up against them in hopes that she would catch it, so she could stay home from school too. Haha! We've both been exposed multiple times and never caught it. The docs checked out our blood once and we both came up as immune. I am seriously allergic to almost everything that grows, moves or produces something, yet chicken pox I'm immune to. Figures.

[curlylocks]

FYI: You can contract Shingles more than once. BTDT...not fun.

[Parrothead]

FYI: You can contract Shingles more than once. BTDT...not fun.

 

 

Well it isn't so much getting it more than once as it is having it become active again. If one has had chicken pox, one has the virus floating around dormant in one's body. If it is not suppressed by periodic exposure to active virus, it will pop up from time to time as shingles. It is actually best to be exposed to chicken pox (maybe even people with active shingles, too. I'm not sure though) from time to time.