Quick Help Needed - To Pox or Not to Pox

[syd'smom]

So friends of ours have chicken pox and are having a party this afternoon.

My dd will be 4 in december and did receive the cp vax at about 1yo, we stopped vaxxing her after 18mos shots (so she isn't "due" for her next round until 4-5yo - which she will NOT be getting).

DS will be 14mos at the end of October. He was born at home, has never seen a doctor and is not vaxxed (and is super healthy).

I would really like dd to get cp, so that I know she will have lifelong immunity (oh how I wish I had researched before she was born). I'm not sure if she will get cp now, or if we have to wait a few more years when the vax has worn off.

Anyway - my biggest question is about ds - should I expose him now? I've read that it is better for them to get it after 18mos, as it is more likely to give him lifelong immunity after that age.

This is the 2nd pox part we've been invited to in the last 3mos or so, and I do have friends who are going, so there is the possibility that we could get it from them a few weeks down the road.

Thoughts please??

[littlec]

Originally Posted by syd'smom

So friends of ours have chicken pox and are having a party this afternoon.

My dd will be 4 in december and did receive the cp vax at about 1yo, we stopped vaxxing her after 18mos shots (so she isn't "due" for her next round until 4-5yo - which she will NOT be getting).

DS will be 14mos at the end of October. He was born at home, has never seen a doctor and is not vaxxed (and is super healthy).

I would really like dd to get cp, so that I know she will have lifelong immunity (oh how I wish I had researched before she was born). I'm not sure if she will get cp now, or if we have to wait a few more years when the vax has worn off.

Anyway - my biggest question is about ds - should I expose him now? I've read that it is better for them to get it after 18mos, as it is more likely to give him lifelong immunity after that age.

This is the 2nd pox part we've been invited to in the last 3mos or so, and I do have friends who are going, so there is the possibility that we could get it from them a few weeks down the road.

Thoughts please??

I don't plan to vax, but I also don't plan to purposely get CP for my kids. I get it, but I can't bring myself to do it. Just putting that out there before I say that I would wait; if your research shows it's better for them to get it after 18months, there must be a reason- are they less likely to suffer complications after that age? I think if I were planning (or if I decide to) to expose them to it deliberately, I'd wait until the recommended age. Part of the reason I don't vax is because I wouldn't be able to live with myself if they suffered a reaction...same in this case as well. Good luck with your decision.

[syd'smom]

Any more thoughts please? I had just read that after 18mos, they would be more likely to get lifelong immunity.

I am more worried about the kids gettin CP as adults (or while pg, for dd) than I am about any possible complications from the actual cp disease, which is why I'd prefer to expose.

[Xerxella]

I'd wait. If you've alredy been invited to 2 chicken pox parties, you'll probably get a chance at another. 14 months seems too young. If they've never been exposed before adulthood, they could always get the vax then.

[fairymom]

I have a friend who's little ones got pox young- like 14 mths and just over 2 and they handled it (the pox, illness, scratching, etc) better than olders. I don't know anything about not having a life long immunity when getting pox after 18 mths only though. (that didn't make a lot of sense, sorry still early here) But your lo is 18 mths so if it's true (say being under 18 mths isn't) than your lo should be good. I'd go for it. I too have an 18 mth old and would love for him to be exposed but I'm also pg and don't want to do it twice (would rather kill 2 birds w/one stone) so we're going to wait till new babe is a toddler and expose them both (hopefully we'll find it!) at once.

GL in your decision!

[syd'smom]

Just updating...we did go to the party. Since dd (almost 4) was vaxxed 3 years ago, I want to take any opportunity I can to have her exposed naturally.

DS is almost 14mos and still nursing a ton, and if he gets them I think he will handle them ok, but I'm guessing he may still have my immunity, since I did get the wild ones when I was 12 - and let me say, I had it far worse than the littles we visited yesterday (a 5-6yo boy and a 3yo girl) who only had a couple of spots each.

As far as the 18 months old and immunity - I think I read that in a thread here. I've read lots of great books, but I took them out from the library and apparently have a horrible memory now - if anyone has a recommendation for which book to buy and keep as a reference for vaccines and diseases, that would be great!

Thanks for the advice.

[amnesiac]

Moving to H&H.