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I was talking to a friend recently about her FIL getting shingles so she had to keep her 1yo away from him until he's not contagious anymore. That conversation led to a conversation about chicken pox, shingles and the vaccine. I referred her to the NVIC website for info on the varicella vaccine. We came across something on there chicken pox page that seemed contradictory to the info we had found on shingles. The NVIC page says that a 2002 study confirmed that adults who are exposed to natural chicken pox are protected against shingles. However, the info we read on shingles says that you only get shingles if you've had chicken pox. So, the question came up how can you be protected from shingles if you've had chicken pox if you can't get shingles unless you've had chicken pox? And, if this is the case, then why the concern about an increase in the incidence of shingles from widespread use of the vaccine.<br><br>
I talked to a friend who told me it all depends at what age you get chicken pox. She said if you get chicken pox as a child, you will have lifetime immunity from chicken pox and shingles. However, if you get chicken pox as a teenager or adult, you are at risk of getting shingles later in life. If you get the varicella vaccine rather than having natural chicken pox, you are more likely to get chicken pox later in life since the vaccine immunity is known to wear off. Consequently, more people contracting chicken pox as teenagers and adults would result in more adults developing shingles as well.<br><br>
Now I am looking for scientific info to back up that statement to show my friend so she doesn't think I'm a complete idiot for referring her to a website that appears to contradict what is known about shingles. Unfortunately, the NVIC website did not reference the study it was referring to so there's no way for me to verify what is written or to get into the specifics about that study with my friend. Does anyone have any links to any scientific studies or medical info that discusses the differences between natural chicken pox immunity, vaccine immunity, age and the link to shingles? TIA
I talked to a friend who told me it all depends at what age you get chicken pox. She said if you get chicken pox as a child, you will have lifetime immunity from chicken pox and shingles. However, if you get chicken pox as a teenager or adult, you are at risk of getting shingles later in life. If you get the varicella vaccine rather than having natural chicken pox, you are more likely to get chicken pox later in life since the vaccine immunity is known to wear off. Consequently, more people contracting chicken pox as teenagers and adults would result in more adults developing shingles as well.<br><br>
Now I am looking for scientific info to back up that statement to show my friend so she doesn't think I'm a complete idiot for referring her to a website that appears to contradict what is known about shingles. Unfortunately, the NVIC website did not reference the study it was referring to so there's no way for me to verify what is written or to get into the specifics about that study with my friend. Does anyone have any links to any scientific studies or medical info that discusses the differences between natural chicken pox immunity, vaccine immunity, age and the link to shingles? TIA