Chicken Pox | INFJ Forum

Chicken Pox

meiro

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Nov 5, 2008
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I haven't catch the pox yet.My father didn't get his either.So what are your experiences with chicken pox?when did you get it?
 
Do you have the vaccine over there, Meiro?

I had it as a small child, and don't remember it. So did my daughter, and it was unpleasant but brief, and she doesn't remember it. When my son was about 4, the vaccine became mandatory, and they wouldn't let him into kindergarten without it.

I opposed the vaccine (because it's long term effectiveness wasn't yet known), but was forced to make my child get it. Every other child in his age group that I know of has the vaccine.

I had a roommate who got chicken pox as an adult, and it was pretty awful. Much more intense and longer lasting when children get it.
 
Hmm..i just asked about the vaccine part.I was injected with the immune chicken pox thingy.It's funny because my dad didn't get his chicken pox.

Meiro's story for chicken pox:

When i was 3 or 4,i was celebrating christmas in our nursery school.I sat next to a girl that was infected with chicken pox.Mother got worried that if i became infected by it, i would leave scars over my body because i was ms sharp claws when i was younger.I tend to scratch until my mosquito bite started to bleed.Hmm i think i kinda remember of what happen now.Somewhat.The injection was a tinsy weensy bite from a red ant though.

I just came to a realization that my grandpa didn't get chicken pox.
 
I was six, never heard from it again.
 
I haven't catch the pox yet.My father didn't get his either.So what are your experiences with chicken pox?when did you get it?

Generally, after the age of 12 or so, getting the chicken pox 'can' (very small can iirc) cause death. Other than the fact that it's longer and more severe, nothing is really different from when you get as a chance compared to an adult
 
Actually, for those of us who have had it, we are now at risk for shingles which is caused by the same virus.

I had it in second grade....two weeks out of school and I had a pile of homework that took me a month to whittle away.

My kids all had the shots tho. I opposed them as I would have preferred my kids to actually get chicken pox.
 
I had the chickenpox when I was in pre-school. They thought I had it multiple times until they found out I had an allergy to Orange Juice (thank god that went away)

I am uninformed on the effects of the vaccine.
 
I firmly believe my son had a reaction to it, but the doctors refused to discuss it (the vaccine had just been made mandatory about 2 years before). Shortly after the vaccine, my son developed a cold sore (which is caused by another herpes virus), and a few hours later erupted in dinner plate sized hives over 95% of his body. The hives were also internal, in the joints of his hands and feet. He missed a couple of months of school, and was rushed to the ER a couple of times after his 1st grade teacher thought he was "trying to get out of working" to go to his nurse. In fact his hands and feet swelled so much they looked like balloons. The (wonderful) school nurse called a staff meeting to prevent that from happening again.

He developed chronic hives for about 3 years, but has grown out of them over past few years.

What is chickenpox?

Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a type of herpes virus. It is often a mild illness, characterized by an itchy rash on the face, scalp and trunk with pink spots and tiny fluid-filled blisters that dry and become scabs four to five days later. Serious complications, although rare, can occur mainly in infants, adolescents, adults and persons with a weakened immune system. These complications include bacterial infections of skin blisters, pneumonia, and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). In temperate climates, such as the Northeast, chickenpox occurs most frequently in the late winter and early spring.


http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/chickenpox/fact_sheet.htm
 
I got chicken pox when I was in 1st grade or kindergarten. I don't remember much of the experience, except for those awful oatmeal baths! I still have chicken pox scars. I honestly don't remember if I took a vaccine or not. My memories are fuzzy from infancy through 12yrs old.
 
I got the chicken pox in the third grade. I blame love because I got them as a result of my first kiss. The cutest little boy named Robert with a puffy yellow jacket. He kissed me underneath the jungle gym cloaked by his puffy yellow coat for privacy. (I would only kiss him if no one could see). A week or so later I had chicken pox and the doctor asked how I got them inside my cheeks and down my throat. Hee. That was pretty weird.. it was an innocent little kid sloppy closed mouth kiss... Story of my LIFE.
 
Ok, I am going to try to remember this, so it might not be completly right.

The majority of people get chicken pox at some point in their life, usually in early childhood.

However, not all people get it because of an inherent immunity. The genes for all antibodys exsist in side of us all. It just takes time for our body to figure out which antibody (protiens/enzymes) will work agients the virus. Since this is a common virus, some people will just be able for form the antibody faster then someone else, and therefore can not get it. My father is an example of this.
 
I remember getting it when I was about six or seven. And I hated it. I was already itchy enough from chronic eczema. Add that with a fever, and I was just plain miserable. Fortunately we had plenty of calamine lotion and oatmeal...
 
never had them thank god!!

Not necessarily a good thing, better off getting them as a kid unless you're immune, it's usually pretty mild then with a temperature, cough and itchy rash being the worst of it, a week or two off school being waited on the best.

Most adults are immune to it but if you haven't had it as a kid it can be a far more serious problem with complications like pneumonia being a risk. If you're potentially going to come into contact with children who have it tis best to be tested to see if you're immune. There is a vaccine for adults who aren't immune like Zen said.


I had them when I was a wee tot.
 
For women, it's concerning if you get pregnant and you haven't had the chicken pox or haven't been vaccinated.
 
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I don't remember exactly how old I was, around 6-8 I think, and I still have a scar on my forehead from scratching. I got it pretty bad and I was in my bed for a couple of days but then I was fine. It felt really gross and annoying.
 
It's very difficult to find information regarding "natural immunity" to chicken pox (and I've been trying). Every article I've read suggests true immunity is only likely if you've had chicken pox in childhood, not that some people are born with immunity.

If anyone can find information to the contrary, I'd be very interested to read it.

Since the use of the Varicella vaccine became widespread (10 years ago in the US), it appears that the chance of catching chicken pox has become less likely, but not impossible. This is how my pediatrician finally convinced me to give up my fight against getting the vaccine for my son. With every other child in our town vaccinated, he simply wouldn't have the opportunity to contract the disease and thus develop natural, lifelong immunity to it. The vaccine itself does not claim to prevent chicken pox, only to decrease it's severity. As both Lurker and Soulful mentioned, chicken pox can be a far more serious event for adults, especially those who are immunocompromised and pregnant women.
 
This may be off topic, but what are the communities feelings about the people who refuse to vaccinate their children against anything?