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Can Kids Get Shingles?


Jean in Newcastle
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Even if they've had the chickenpox vaccine and not actual chickenpox?

 

Google seems to suggest "no" if they've had the vaccine.  But dd had hives tonight in a row all down her arm like it was following a nerve or something.  She had some nightshades today though, which she's allergic to.  So I gave her Benedryl before bed.  

 

Any thoughts?  

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Yes, theoretically, but I'd suspect any number of things before shingles. No vaccine is 100% effective. Still, hives and warts are also related to the nervous system so it really could be any number of issues.

I certainly hope she feels better soon!

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My niece got shingles as a tween. She had the varicella vaccine (chicken pox) but never the chicken pox. Interestingly, her pediatrician said that she has seen a rise in shingles in children. Normally, it would be considered an "old person's" disease but it has become more common in children who have received the varicella vaccine.

 

But understand two things: (1) she didn't mean that shingles in kids is common. It's still rare, but apparently, shingles in kids used to be almost non-existent.

 

(2) she didn't mean that the vaccine was causing the shingles. As she explained it: shingles is caused by the same virus that gives you chicken pox. Some kids, when exposed to the chicken pox after already having the vaccine, got the shingles. It works basically the same way anyone gets shingles...you have to have had chicken pox first, then in some cases (usually immune deficient cases, as older people often are and in the case of my niece) when exposed again to the chicken pox, the virus develops into the shingles.

 

One other thing to note, since shingles really is a form of chicken pox, whoever has shingles can be just as contagious as someone with chicken pox.  :glare: My non-varicella-vaccinated kids caught the chicken pox from my niece. My vaccinated ones didn't or had extremely light cases.

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My dd had the actual chicken pox when she was 2.  When she was 4 she got shingles.  Definitely shingles.  I felt terrible - that by not giving her the vaccine, I had caused her to get shingles.  But, her doctor told me that anyone who has had the vaccine OR chicken pox can get shingles.  Either way, once you have the virus in you, it can come out later as shingles.  She is 16 now and hasn't had another outbreak since, but I worry that it will cause problems as she gets older.

 

I have another dd who had a pretty good case of chicken pox when she was about 18 months old.  She did not get the vaccine. (we generally vac, but when our older kids were born, our doctor wasn't crazy about the chicken pox vaccine - he suggested waiting until school age and getting the vaccine then if they hadn't had the actual disease, so that's what we did) She had chickenpox again when she was 12.  It was terrible!  Our doctor at that time said that it happens sometimes.  Even to those who are vaccinated.

 

Chicken pox are weird.

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One other thing to note, since shingles really is a form of chicken pox, whoever has shingles can be just as contagious as someone with chicken pox.  :glare: My non-varicella-vaccinated kids caught the chicken pox from my niece. My vaccinated ones didn't or had extremely light cases.

 

This is NOT true! It is extremely difficult to get chicken pox from someone with shingles. The fluid from their blisters would have to enter an opening on your body. I asked about this specifically when I had shingles while still nursing my 9 month old dd who was too young for a vaccine. I was given the okay to nurse as long as dd had no contact with my rash. All went well--she did not get chicken pox.

 

OP, I believe that an arm presentation would be highly unlikely for shingles. Typical pattern is a rash on one side of the trunk, though I understand many get it on their face too. I vote for allergic reaction.

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Yes, children can get shingles.  Even vaccinated ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is NOT true! It is extremely difficult to get chicken pox from someone with shingles. The fluid from their blisters would have to enter an opening on your body. I asked about this specifically when I had shingles while still nursing my 9 month old dd who was too young for a vaccine. I was given the okay to nurse as long as dd had no contact with my rash. All went well--she did not get chicken pox.

 

OP, I believe that an arm presentation would be highly unlikely for shingles. Typical pattern is a rash on one side of the trunk, though I understand many get it on their face too. I vote for allergic reaction.

 

Several years ago my oldest's good friend came down with chicken pox after being exposed to a woman with shingles. 

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My niece has had shingles several times since getting vaccinated.  According to her doctor there has been a rise, not huge, but noticeable of shingles in children since the vaccine.  They were doing a study as to why, but I never heard the results. 

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Several years ago my oldest's good friend came down with chicken pox after being exposed to a woman with shingles. 

 

It's still difficult to get chicken pox from shingles. It's not going to happen from being near someone with shingles--no airborne transmission. You have to come in contact with the fluid from the blisters. From WebMD:

 

 

Transmission

Exposure to shingles will not cause you to get shingles. But if you have not had chickenpox and have not gotten the chickenpox vaccine, you can get chickenpox if you are exposed to shingles. Someone who has shingles can expose you to the virus if you come into contact with the fluid in the shingles blisters.

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I have two friends who had shingles at 30 and had the disease as children. Definitely hearing a lot more about shingles these days.

 

But with regard to your DD, maybe it could be some other type of reaction to a viral thing? I had the worst rash when I was pregnant and it was related to a cold sore flareup. My joints swelled and all kinds of weird stuff. 

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Yes, they can but it's rare. If you think it might be shingles, I'd take her in and have them check for sure. How you treat what she has matters - if it is shingles you wouldn't want to put an anti-itch cream on it.

 

 

Yup, they sure can.  They can get shingles as children regardless of which way they became immune to chicken pox (wild or vaccine).  I hope it's just an allergic reaction.  I hear shingles can be super miserable.

 

 

 

Yup.  My 26 yo niece got shingles last year, and had chicken pox as a child. I think the vaccine came out when she was 7? 8? I'm not sure, but she had already had the disease by the time a vaccine became available. It's not just an "old person's disease" nor is it limited in children and young people to those who had the vaccine.

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False alarm:  she woke up with no hives (they never looked like blisters) or itchiness.  She never had any pain.  I think it was just an reaction since she had both chili pepper and tomatoes (darn enchiladas).  

 

Glad to hear she's okay. Shingles is so very painful from all I've heard.

 

But now thanks to the Hive, you know more about kids and shingles than you probably want or need to know. ;)

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This is NOT true! It is extremely difficult to get chicken pox from someone with shingles. The fluid from their blisters would have to enter an opening on your body. I asked about this specifically when I had shingles while still nursing my 9 month old dd who was too young for a vaccine. I was given the okay to nurse as long as dd had no contact with my rash. All went well--she did not get chicken pox.

 

OP, I believe that an arm presentation would be highly unlikely for shingles. Typical pattern is a rash on one side of the trunk, though I understand many get it on their face too. I vote for allergic reaction.

 

:confused1:  This is exactly how chicken pox is spread. No, you're not going to transmit the virus through breastmilk. A hygienic and careful adult should be able to keep it from spreading. Adults who have shingles know this and are usually able to keep from spreading the virus.

 

But kids are a different story. The pediatrician advised treating the kid with shingles as though she had chicken pox (with regards to contagiousness). She knew that my niece and my kids practically lived together. Of course, because shingles IS rare, we didn't realize that's what she had until it was too late.

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This is NOT true! It is extremely difficult to get chicken pox from someone with shingles. The fluid from their blisters would have to enter an opening on your body. I asked about this specifically when I had shingles while still nursing my 9 month old dd who was too young for a vaccine. I was given the okay to nurse as long as dd had no contact with my rash. All went well--she did not get chicken pox.

 

OP, I believe that an arm presentation would be highly unlikely for shingles. Typical pattern is a rash on one side of the trunk, though I understand many get it on their face too. I vote for allergic reaction.

 

 

I had shingles a couple of months ago and my doctor told me stay away from anyone who may not have had the chicken pox or vaccinations for a day or two until the medicine kicked in as I would be contagious to them.

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