Why is it so hard to get/give chicken pox?!

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

Is it b/c much of the CP going around now is from shingles or folks who get cp after getting the varicella vax? Any other ideas?

My 4 y/o dd just had CP. She got it from another homeschooling kid who we made a playdate w. BUT, last year I took her to someone from MDC whose kids had the pox, and nothing happened (and, foo, I drove an hour, too). I was delighted and a bit surprised when, at the very end of 14 days, she sprouted pox. (This was esp. surprising since the other girl was only 3 and didn't want to share musical instruments or lollipops, and they just played house together for an hour or so!)

So I posted on here and my local homeschooling group and we had playdates w. such nice people. 5 different families came over. They kids shared lollipops and recorders/harmonicas, and some even touched her pox. I just heard from the last of the mamas, and not one of the kids got it (and one of those poor women drove 3 hours to get here b/c there are no pox by here and she's been looking for several years).

She was def. still contagious. She sprouted them Friday night, and all the playdates were Monday or Tuesday. She kept getting pox after that, and now, 18 days later, is at the very end of them fading.

I would love some input here. Perhaps we can help others to help get/give chicken pox. Thanks!

[Ophelia]

I've exposed DS 3 times now, the last time about a month ago. NO visible signs. I'm thinking of having his titres checked, even though I know we would have to pay out of pocket for it

I apparently had a mild case as a baby, and then got it again in 9th grade easily (was babysitting a contagious kid, and it's not like we shared food!). I don't know why it's so easy to catch for some and not others. Maybe more people than we think are immune and just didn't show visible signs of having it. DH says he's never had it but I told him he wouldn't know for sure unless he got titres checked.

[serenbat]

I was exposed numerous times as a child and never got it until as adult- this was with sharing and close contact- IF it will happen it will- doesn't for everyone.

One weekend sleepover as a child, out of 12, I was the only one NOT to get it.

[amnesiac]

Since this is about the illness rather than the vaccine I'm moving to H&H.

[mum4boys]

I have only had one child get them and he was my oldest and a baby still. My second child has been exposed and exposed and then exposed some more. He still has not had them along with the rest of my kids.

My second child we are in a paradox with him. He was just diagnosed with juvenile arthritis and him getting chicken pox not is a risk. Not sure what we are going to do. Well we are going to first see if he has immunity to the chicken pox before we decide anything.

[CarrieMF]

If it's only been 18 days, it can take up to 21 for them to break out in pox.

These kids may have immunity even without actually having had the pox, they should have their titres checked.

If they aren't immune & are exposed, they may have strong immune systems that will fight it off so they don't actually end up with the pox.

[amcal]

We've exposed 6 times and nothing. And we've had titers drawn - nothing.

I don't know why it's so hard????

[Mamato3wild ponnie]

We live in Mexico and have a friend who's neighbors child has chicken pox....I want to expose my non vax'd 20 mo and vax'd up till 18 mo, 5yo. Looks like it will be a hit or miss. We dont know the family....wondering if the t-shirt...alone would work...or...I guess letting the kids play for a bit too?

[4babes]

I'm the one who drove three hours to visit CrunchyGranolaMom! We had a great time, despite the lack of pox.

I'm so curious about this too. Yesterday we tried our fifth exposure. Two of them were exposures where nobody got them from the poxy child, despite 5-6families trying.

Our kids have pretty healthy immune systems but there are four of them and you would have thought that ONE of them would get it. Especially since we kept them up late and fed them sugar beforehand.

The one thing I think I've learned is that poxy shirts and washclothes are a better mode of transmission than lollipops. Our last two exposures each got them from fabric, and one never even saw the child -- just got a shirt through express mail.

The whole thing is fascinating.

[liqzierda]

I think it belies how supposedly contagious it is. No doubt those of us that had it as kids either a)were exposed to tons of kids simultaneously who were brewing it, right before they were obviously poxy or b)had one or more siblings we were with 24 hours a day (at least on the weekends) and thus got it very easily.

I've been hoping my kids would get it environmentally and nothing, so far.

[CrunchyGranolaMom]

SO interesting to read all the different experiences.

amcal--6 times you've exposed your kids and no pox and nothing on the titers?! Wow....Now THAT stinks.....You def. win the award for persistence, though!

4babes--you're here! That's a really interesting tip about the clothing. Wish we had known that a few weeks ago....I hope your latest exposure does the trick for your kids.

[tanyalynn]

To throw in a historical data point (pre-CP vax), I myself didn't get CP til 9th grade, and I went to daycare before entering an average-sized suburban US elementary school. I have no idea how I avoided it til then.