11 year old hasn't had wild Chicken Pox still

[MamaCrunch]

None of my kids are vax'd at all. Their doctor allows parents to make their own decisions regarding vaccines (novel, huh? ) but said that he recommends the chicken pox vaccine at age 10 if a kid hasn't had CP yet. We did titers to check for CP and MMR antibodies and they were negative (I know they aren't necessarily reliable but I was really just hoping we'd see antibodies and hope that was sufficient)

His reasoning is that the disease is much more likely to be complicated for a person over age 10. I can't find any good stats (which is probably because it sounds like they stopped keeping stats on CP after the vax became widespread)

I wonder what others in my shoes have decided to do? I would have MUCH preferred her to get CP as a little kid than to be facing this decision now. I really hate the idea of doing this vaccine and I hate having to go through all this again. We only saw CP once her entire childhood and it was right after my 3rd was born and I just couldn't tolerate the idea of going through it then. Dang.

[ScarletBegonias]

well, my dh's 29 yo non-vaxxed cousin just got CP last year. i have to say, it *was* pretty bad. he was sick for months, literally. and, to top it off, he's a singer, and it took a good long while for him to be able to sing again.

that said though, our kids are not and never will be vaxxed, and dh and i still feel that we made the right choice, and will not have any of our children given any vaccination for any reason. we will never even travel out of the country to certain locations if vaxs would be required. but that is a choice we feel good about.

but, just because dh's cousin had a hard time of it, doesn't mean that someone else would, and chances are, someone may go their entire life without contracting CP.

hth!

eta: as far as "complications" dh's cousin is in good health, and he was just really *sick*. he never was in the hospital or anything like that. it was just like a kick-your-a** cold/flu that lasted a looooong time. he didn't have the itchy lesions that many kids who are vaxxed against CP get when they get CP.

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

CP is an easy one for me. That one isnt one ds will be getting at all at any time. DD got it at a year because the Dr. scared me into it due to dd's asthma and allergies. One of my greatest regrets was allowing dd to have that vax

I can only hope that she will get cp eventually and get true immunity.

[BMG580]

I got it at 17 and it was bad. I was almost hospitalized twice due to dehydration - I had so many blisters in my mouth, throat and inside my nose that I couldn't eat/drink. I missed school for 6 weeks and I was so sick I had blisters under my eyelids, in my ears, in my genitals - everywhere you can imagine - and yet I never remember itching, I was too sick to even be aware of that physical discomfort.

I would absolutely vax an older child against chicken pox. The illness really is much more serious the older you get.

[Arduinna]

My 20 year old never got any of the diseases there are vax for. She is still unvaxed.

[gardenmommy]

We are in the same boat. My 11 yr. old hasn't had CP either, although I keep my eyes out for anyone who has it. However, my DH has never had CP (he is turning 42 this year), and is in perfect health. I don't know whether or not I would want to get the shot for my DS, or just take the chance that he will be fine, like my DH.

[Crafty]

I got it at 17 and it was bad. I was almost hospitalized twice due to dehydration - I had so many blisters in my mouth, throat and inside my nose that I couldn't eat/drink. I missed school for 6 weeks and I was so sick I had blisters under my eyelids, in my ears, in my genitals - everywhere you can imagine - and yet I never remember itching, I was too sick to even be aware of that physical discomfort.

I would absolutely vax an older child against chicken pox. The illness really is much more serious the older you get.

This, except I was 11. I hallucinated, sleptwalk, couldn't eat and lost a ton of weight because the pox were down my throat, and I itched- I think I spent two weeks in the tub with oatmeal in an old nylon. It was a miserable time, made worse by the fact that I couldn't wear my glasses (and I have awful, awful vision) because the pox were so bad on my face that my glasses hurt and popped the blisters. I almost had to be hospitalized because I was so ill. It was a totally rotten experience- my blisters were so thick all over my body that I had to sleep on the couch for most of the time A., so my mom could watch over me because I was sleepwalking and hallucinating, and B., because my blisters will so big and nasty and all over and painful. I slept on top of big fluffy pillows to take the pain away.

[phoebemommy]

I got chicken pox when I was 24. It was no big, just felt a little sick for a few days and then looked gross and pimply for a few more. It was actually kind of nice to be mature and have the pox -- I could control myself and not scratch very much.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by MamaCrunch

None of my kids are vax'd at all. Their doctor allows parents to make their own decisions regarding vaccines (novel, huh? ) but said that he recommends the chicken pox vaccine at age 10 if a kid hasn't had CP yet. We did titers to check for CP and MMR antibodies and they were negative (I know they aren't necessarily reliable but I was really just hoping we'd see antibodies and hope that was sufficient)

His reasoning is that the disease is much more likely to be complicated for a person over age 10. I can't find any good stats (which is probably because it sounds like they stopped keeping stats on CP after the vax became widespread)

I wonder what others in my shoes have decided to do? I would have MUCH preferred her to get CP as a little kid than to be facing this decision now. I really hate the idea of doing this vaccine and I hate having to go through all this again. We only saw CP once her entire childhood and it was right after my 3rd was born and I just couldn't tolerate the idea of going through it then. Dang.

Has your doctor said to get the MMR as well?? I find it interesting that he feels CP would be more dangerous to an adult/older child than the measles.
I had CP at age 19. It sucked. I had a very bad case. I spent a week in an oatmeal bath and had pox literally everywhere. I did not have any terrible complications that required anything other than home care however. I still would not vaccinate had I to do it over again.

[laohaire]

I think I'd look up statistics rather than going by anecdotes.

FTR I got chicken pox at 13 and it wasn't too bad. I WAS sick, and mom pulled me out of school for a few days (or maybe a whole week, I forgot) and I remember having to live in the bathtub for a day or two, but I was not in danger of being hospitalized or anything (and this coming from a kid who was hospitalized with the flu every year of her childhood).

[laohaire]

Can you look for a pox party in your area?

[sapientia]

My kids are 15, 13, 11, 9 and almost 2 and no vaccines-and no CP either, I wont' be vaccinating.

[prescottchels]

I would never vax for CP. I'm pretty sure I had the vax as a kid and then got CP in my 20's and it sucked, but it wasn't life threatening. I was just miserable for a week with a high fever, itchies and loneliness lol I lived by myself and no one wanted to come over

[Freud]

I've never had chicken pox. I was vaxed for it at age 14, as I entered high school, because the doctor recommended it due to my asthma and allergies. I am sort of thankful that I got this vax, because I've seen many many horrible cases of chicken pox in older adolescents and adults. Although, I probably have a natural immunity to CP, since my dad never had them and neither has my brother, even though we were all exposed at some point in our lives.

[MamaCrunch]

Originally Posted by Marnica

Has your doctor said to get the MMR as well?? I find it interesting that he feels CP would be more dangerous to an adult/older child than the measles.
I had CP at age 19. It sucked. I had a very bad case. I spent a week in an oatmeal bath and had pox literally everywhere. I did not have any terrible complications that required anything other than home care however. I still would not vaccinate had I to do it over again.

He did not recommend the MMR. (he didn't NOT recommend it, but he did not recommend it) He shared my concern about Rubella when she reaches an age when pregnancy becomes a reality (and as far as I'm concerned my only job there is to help HER make an educated decision) but no recommendation there. We did the titer since we were drawing blood anyway (and I was really just hoping and hoping we'd see all these great antibodies ) I mentioned Mumps/Measles as an adult and he was more concerned with CP...

I appreciate the anecdotes. I have read them on both sides (CP was easy as an adult/CP was hard as an adult) I do still long for some numbers!

Ugh, I feel so... undecided. The only thing I can REALLY go on right now is my intuition and my intuition tells me not to do the shot at this very moment...I would like to be better informed though.

[claddaghmom]

Originally Posted by MamaCrunch

He did not recommend the MMR. (he didn't NOT recommend it, but he did not recommend it) He shared my concern about Rubella when she reaches an age when pregnancy becomes a reality (and as far as I'm concerned my only job there is to help HER make an educated decision) but no recommendation there. We did the titer since we were drawing blood anyway (and I was really just hoping and hoping we'd see all these great antibodies ) I mentioned Mumps/Measles as an adult and he was more concerned with CP...

I appreciate the anecdotes. I have read them on both sides (CP was easy as an adult/CP was hard as an adult) I do still long for some numbers!

Ugh, I feel so... undecided. The only thing I can REALLY go on right now is my intuition and my intuition tells me not to do the shot at this very moment...I would like to be better informed though.

I'm longing for numbers, too. A friend just had her girls come down with chickenpox and was offering lollipox. The second half of my siblings at home haven't had chickenpox, and the oldest is 12. So it's worrisome. To do, or not to do. I know there won't be any vaccinating though.

[terran631]

I'm 33 and have never had chickenpox. About 5 years ago, I looked into getting the vaccine for myself because I work with children a lot and I didn't want to get cp and risk closing down my business for a week or two because I was sick. Well, I had my titers tested and it came back negative for antibodies. The day before I was supposed to get vaccinated, ds (who was then 6) came home from school with them. I figured oh well, nothing I can do now. So I cancelled the appointment.

He was fine about four days later. I waited the incubation period, and dd (then 2) came down with them, but I didn't. I waited the incubation period again and still no chickenpox for me. I did, however, get the WORST case of strep throat I'd ever had. I figured maybe my immune system had gotten taxed fighting off CP twice that I was susceptible to another infection.

When I questioned my doctor about it, he said that maybe I wasn't around my sick children enough. . Like they didn't sleep in my bed, I didn't rub aloe on their pox, I didn't bf my 2 year old. It was such a ridiculous statement that I didn't even justify it with an answer. Anyway, the point is (and you mentioned it) that titers aren't always an accurate prediction.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by MamaCrunch

He did not recommend the MMR. (he didn't NOT recommend it, but he did not recommend it) He shared my concern about Rubella when she reaches an age when pregnancy becomes a reality (and as far as I'm concerned my only job there is to help HER make an educated decision) but no recommendation there. We did the titer since we were drawing blood anyway (and I was really just hoping and hoping we'd see all these great antibodies ) I mentioned Mumps/Measles as an adult and he was more concerned with CP...
I appreciate the anecdotes. I have read them on both sides (CP was easy as an adult/CP was hard as an adult) I do still long for some numbers!

Ugh, I feel so... undecided. The only thing I can REALLY go on right now is my intuition and my intuition tells me not to do the shot at this very moment...I would like to be better informed though.

This is hilarious to me!!! Measles as an adult would be far more of a concern than CP IMO!!

[carriebft]

The worry is probably not that measles is not dangerous to an adult, but that the chance of getting measles is quite low- much much lower than the chance of contracting CP, kwim?

[MamaCrunch]

Originally Posted by carriebft

The worry is probably not that measles is not dangerous to an adult, but that the chance of getting measles is quite low- much much lower than the chance of contracting CP, kwim?

Yea, I'm sure this has a lot to do with it, I think it probably boils down to; two diseases both with small but real risk--one is all over the place and the other is seldom seen in this country these days...

BUT I'd like to hear why you're sure you're more worried about measles when there aren't any numbers for adults with CP (that I can find)...

CP may be twice as deadly for all I know--I can't find any stats!!!! I think it's a relatively NEW phenomenon to have more widespread worry about CP as an adult because there was so much exposure for kids before the shot came along and thus much less concern in the first place...This new generation is JUST NOW growing up...I think measles has btdt longer this COULD BE why it has the worse reputation. I would like to see for myself which disease is more complicated for adults, ya know?