Purposeful Chicken Pox

[firewoman]

I have five children ranging in age from 14 years to almost three years.  The oldest 2 have had the chicken pox vaccine but the youngest three are completely unvaccinated.  A family friend recently had a case of shingles and her unvaccinated 14 year old daughter has contracted chicken pox, presumably from her mother. 

I'm trying to decide whether or not I should expose my children to her daughter in the hopes of giving them chicken pox.  Please give me your opinions and why or why not you would choose to purposely give your children chicken pox.

[QueenOfTheMeadow]

This is such an individual sensitive decision to make.  My oldest 2 had the vaccine, but my youngest got chicken pox from my dh when he had shingles.  We did want him to get it instead of the vaccine, but I'm not sure I would have exposed him to someone else, besides family.  I honestly don't have any specific reasons why though, more of just a gut feeling.  I have nothing against exposing children to chicken pox either, though.  Again, it's such a sensitive issue.

[sbgrace]

I don't know the answer to this but i wonder if it increases or decreases the chances of shingles in the vaxed older kids. I know the vax leaves a higher risk and kids now do get shingles. But I wonder if subsequent exposure after vax would give them a boost that would make it less likely or, conversely, the real thing after vax would possibly trigger a case of shingles.