Return of the chicken pox!
Mar 9th 2011, 2:43 am
#1
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Return of the chicken pox!
We have had someone sent off work with CP, and one of the staff in my office, has just had her little girl diagnosed yesterday.
The usual health bulletins sent out to warn us but I would like to know the following:
1. If you have had chicken pox as a child, can you get chicken pox again as an adult?
2. Is immunity from vaccination for life? I cant remember if I had a vaccine or CP.
3. Whats the deal with shingles? if you have had CP, then is it shingles you get or are they two different things?
I don't know if it is worth getting vaccinated now for CP or just hoping my immunity is good.
The usual health bulletins sent out to warn us but I would like to know the following:
1. If you have had chicken pox as a child, can you get chicken pox again as an adult?
2. Is immunity from vaccination for life? I cant remember if I had a vaccine or CP.
3. Whats the deal with shingles? if you have had CP, then is it shingles you get or are they two different things?
I don't know if it is worth getting vaccinated now for CP or just hoping my immunity is good.
Mar 9th 2011, 3:06 am
#2
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,905
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
I think an adult can have shingles even if you have had chicken pox before. But its not that common.
Unlikely any vaccination will be for life.
If your from the UK unlikely you had CP vaccination, the UK does not do it.
If you have had Chicken Pox as a child unlikely you will need the vaccination.
Ive got 4 kids who have had it, and the older ones (who had CP years earlier) did not get it even being with their younger siblings every day who had it.
Gems
Unlikely any vaccination will be for life.
If your from the UK unlikely you had CP vaccination, the UK does not do it.
If you have had Chicken Pox as a child unlikely you will need the vaccination.
Ive got 4 kids who have had it, and the older ones (who had CP years earlier) did not get it even being with their younger siblings every day who had it.
Gems
Mar 9th 2011, 3:07 am
#3
Rhino with a big horn!
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,117
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
I'm no expert but I thought Yes and No to the first 2 questions.
For the 3rd question I thought they were the same virus but more unpleasant for an adult.
I'll let the experts shoot me down now
For the 3rd question I thought they were the same virus but more unpleasant for an adult.
I'll let the experts shoot me down now
Mar 9th 2011, 3:24 am
#4
Officially Bewildered
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW
Posts: 5,523
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
We have had someone sent off work with CP, and one of the staff in my office, has just had her little girl diagnosed yesterday.
The usual health bulletins sent out to warn us but I would like to know the following:
1. If you have had chicken pox as a child, can you get chicken pox again as an adult?
2. Is immunity from vaccination for life? I cant remember if I had a vaccine or CP.
3. Whats the deal with shingles? if you have had CP, then is it shingles you get or are they two different things?
I don't know if it is worth getting vaccinated now for CP or just hoping my immunity is good.
The usual health bulletins sent out to warn us but I would like to know the following:
1. If you have had chicken pox as a child, can you get chicken pox again as an adult?
2. Is immunity from vaccination for life? I cant remember if I had a vaccine or CP.
3. Whats the deal with shingles? if you have had CP, then is it shingles you get or are they two different things?
I don't know if it is worth getting vaccinated now for CP or just hoping my immunity is good.
) although he'd had it quite bad as a toddler.Here's everything you need to know about shingles
The same article says this about the chicken pox vaccine:
A vaccine that protects people from getting chickenpox is also available for healthy adults and children older than 9-12 months. Children and adults who are not immune to chickenpox (generally this means they have never had chickenpox) have the option of receiving this vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for children aged 18 months, and those aged 10-13 years who have not yet been vaccinated or had chickenpox, as part of their routine childhood vaccinations. The vaccine is not 100 per cent effective in preventing chickenpox in every person who is given the vaccine. However, if chickenpox does occur in a person who has been vaccinated, the illness is likely to be less severe
Mar 9th 2011, 3:52 am
#5
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Joined: Mar 2006
Location: Riverland, SA - Beds/Cambs/Nhants was home in UK
Posts: 1,503
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
Only thing to add to the above valid advice ... is that if your case of CP as a child was "mild" you may get CP again.
Apparently "mild" is classed as less that 20 "spots".
I got CP when I was 18, it was horrendous. My brother got when 16 and was hospitalized, even more horrendous! It's to be encourages for kids with CP to pass it on to kids who haven't
as weird as it sounds, as the alternative of getting when you're older isn't very nice at all.
Shingles is terribly painful and can be had time and again. A girlfriend of mine has two or three times, she's a primary school teacher!
Apparently "mild" is classed as less that 20 "spots".
I got CP when I was 18, it was horrendous. My brother got when 16 and was hospitalized, even more horrendous! It's to be encourages for kids with CP to pass it on to kids who haven't
as weird as it sounds, as the alternative of getting when you're older isn't very nice at all.Shingles is terribly painful and can be had time and again. A girlfriend of mine has two or three times, she's a primary school teacher!
Mar 9th 2011, 4:10 am
#6
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 23,400
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
Oh well, we shall wait and see. I have felt crook since sunday but have no spots or anything, so thats OK and Mr PP called me to say he feels shit as well.
I have been around people with chicken pox before and never caught anything so am assuming I have good immunity. I do believe whooping cough was going around, we were all offered the vaccine at work for that.
I have been around people with chicken pox before and never caught anything so am assuming I have good immunity. I do believe whooping cough was going around, we were all offered the vaccine at work for that.
Mar 9th 2011, 4:32 am
#7
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
You can get chicken pox again as an adult - TheVileEx caught it from my kids (I remained pox free, I think I may be a carrier as I escaped it as a child when my brother had it ) although he'd had it quite bad as a toddler.
Here's everything you need to know about shingles
The same article says this about the chicken pox vaccine:
) although he'd had it quite bad as a toddler.Here's everything you need to know about shingles
The same article says this about the chicken pox vaccine:
Mar 9th 2011, 4:55 am
#8
Account Closed
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,195
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
Shingles is hell. I never even knew I'd had chicken pox but I obviously did at some point cos I came down with shingles in my first few months here. Shingles itself is agony, The effects lasted for months, absolutely worn out and listless, and it affected my eyesight very badly. I always had perfect vision before, now its so bad I can't even rely on it to drive cos when I start to get tired I have no idea of perspective.
Mar 9th 2011, 5:31 am
#9
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,814
Re: Return of the chicken pox!
The thing that annoys me most is that the shingles affecting my eyes meant that even if I had gone home and given up on Aus, I couldn't have got my old job back, I was a fingerprint technician and my eyesight after the attack was - and still is - far too unreliable to do that job again. One reason why I'm still here
trapped by shingles!!!
