Is there an age you would vax for chickenpox?

[MamasBoys]

My two younger children are not vaccinated and we've always been a tiny bit worried about it, because my husband (33) has never had it and I've read it can be much more severe in adults.  The youngest are 3 and 6, so I have some time before I really start asking myself this question, but looking forward, I'm wondering if there is an age that anyone else will vax if their child has not naturally acquired the disease yet. I'm not particularly concerned with rare complications but with the possibility of the illness being severe in say, a tween or teenager. 

[liberal_chick]

Once they are teens, or close to it. I'm hoping we can catch it before then, but the vax will be on our radar at that point if we aven't.

[rnra]

Personally, I would choose to vaccinate them at the CDC recommended intervals.  Chicken pox may seem harmless, but I have personally seen it be otherwise.

When I was just shy of 2 years old, I contracted chicken pox.  I don't remember anything about it, but there are pictures of me covered head to toe in the most extreme case of chicken pox I have ever witnessed and all of my family members still remember how horrible it was at the time and how miserable I was.  My four siblings, parents, and other family members have all had chicken pox and there was not a family history of complications with it.  

Now, nearly 30 years later, I still have horrendous scars on my abdomen and chest from the chicken pox.  If that was the only problem with the virus, then so be it.  However, it wasn't.  Since that experience with chicken pox, I have had shingles 7 times.  The first case was when I was 8 years old and required a week-long hospitalization due to complications.  Over the years, the chicken pox virus and subsequent shingles has caused me nerve damage, excruciating pain, plenty of money due to medical bills, and I've lost many days of work and school.  I've also had issues with recurrent silver dollar sized cankers that are also caused by a virus in the same family.  

I would never choose to not vaccinate a child for chicken pox.  It may seem harmless--but it's not.  I would much rather risk the extremely rare possibility of a side effect from a vaccine than subject my child to chicken pox.

[slmommy]

I went to a pox party with my sister when I was about 7 and she was 4, my sister has a cp scar on her forehead, which is my mother's only regret for purposely exposing us (before vax existed). 

I haven't really decided where I stand between purposeful exposure vs. let's wait and see... I think if you wait long enough into the teen years, your kids can/should give their input, it becomes more their decision. 

We live in a country where it is mostly not vaccinated for still. I was exposed to chicken pox during my pregnancy, someone living in our house (adult - who it was no big deal for - didn't even really realize what he had for several days!)... so was glad for the natural immunity.

[Honey693]

If my kids haven't gotten chicken pox by 8 or 10 I will.  I really want them to get chicken pox.  I never did and I was supposed to get a booster before I got pregnant again.  Yeah that didn't happen and now I'm terrified I'm going to catch chicken pox while I'm pregnant.  I really want to spare my kids that.

[camom4]

The teen years- my first two were vaxed as toddlers (and at the time the promise was it would be a shot deal),  Well, now the vax immunity appears to wear off.  Plus, my now 10 yr old got it  about a year after the vax (confirmed).  So the vax didn't even work for him-although now he DOES have lifelong immunity.  The youngest will get vaxed in his early teens if he hasn't been able to get it by then.