Toddlers Exposed to Chicken Pox

Dear L.,
I would advise you not to vaccinate them. If they get the pox then they won't get it when they are older. The vaccine does not last forever so they could still get it when they are older. The younger they get it the better. I actually tried to expose my kids to get them but to no avail. Then they got them at 4 & 6. It was hard but they got through it.
L. J

My kids got vaccinated for chicken pox like between 12 to 18 months of age. Maybe your ped. is different but I wouldn't get them vaccinated. If they get it, they get it. Then you won't have to worry when they are around it again. Heck, I was vaccinated and I still got it when I was 11 years old! Just watch for those little red bumps in the next few days.

No, the vax won't make a difference now. What you need to do is wait and see what happens. At the first sign of chicken pox (fever, flu-like symptoms) you go to the doctor and tell them that they were exposed. They will give your kids a shot (I forget what it's called) and it will make the chicken pox milder. But, if you wait until they break out with the pox rash, it's usually too late.

Natural immunitiy is FAR better than the shot, if they do get it, it's a GOOD thing. We had it last year, I had a 4 year old and a 7 month old. They did really well, we had 2 bad days, and the rest was a breeze. Oatmeal baths, calamine lotion, and snuggling did the trick. Now, they are immune for life and don't have any worries about complications from that vaccine. I heard you can get shingles as a child once you have had it.

If they have been exposed, you will know within 10 days if they start breaking out with the chicken pox. If they don't break out after 7-10 days, perhaps they did not get "enough" exposure to actually catch it, which in this case getting the immunization is still a good option. So many people I know still got chicken pox even after immunizations, just not as bad as probably without it.

Be grateful if your kids do get chicken pox. Then you won't need the vaccine. Don't worry about it, chicken pox is more of an inconvience for the family than anything. Yes there are children who die from it, but children also die from staph infections from hangnails, and we don't vaccinate against those, and no one worries about them either. The danger of chicken pox is way over blown, because it is the only way the drug companies can justify having people pay for the vaccine. Do you remember having chicken pox as a kid? It was a right of passage, and exciting. It meant no school for a week, and you really didn't feel that bad, just itchy! If you do wind up at home for a week, think of some low key kind of fun things to work on, crafts are good, bake cookies, wear pajamas, watch tv and movies. Handle it the way your mother did and you'll be fine. Good luck.

I would give it a week and see if they get the chicken pox. If they do, there is no reason for the shot. Once you get the pox, you're not suppose to get it again. I know people that have gotten it twice, but that's rare. It's so much better for kids to get the chicken pox when they are young. My cousin got it as an adult and it almost killed her. I had it when I was young (about 7) in the middle of July and I hardly even remember it. If they do get the chicken pox, there's not a lot you can really do for it. Motrin for the pain and calomine or oatmeal baths for the itching. Make sure the baths are lukewarm and not hot. Of course, call the doctor if they show signs and see if he or she has any other recommendations for you.

I had a similiar experience with my girls- we did not vaccinate and we never would have anyway. They may get the chickenpox- but it is really not that bad. We had our 7 year old, 2 year old and baby all get it within a month and they had it for about a week. We do not vaccinate our children because of the side effects and the long lasting side effects. The chickenpox vaccine is one of the worst. I would look at thinktwice.com for more information. Anyway, if your children do get it-since they are so young- it won't be as bad. I would not vaccinate because they have already been exposed to it. There is a whole lot of information out there about the vaccine being very bad for children- If they do get the chickenpox it will actually be a good thing because they can never get it agin and they would be immune then to it- immune naturally that is. Hope this info helps

A little about me- Stay at home mother of 4 children- ages 8,7,2 1/2, 10 months and another one on the way- due Oct. 29th

Definitely call the pediatrician's office about this one. I'm more worried about the 2 year old than the 4 year old. I only say that because when I was about 8, and my brother was 4, he caught chicken pox, and gave it to the rest of us (we're 2 of 4, and he was the youngest). It happened over Christmas break that year, and we were in Florida when my mom went to pull his shirt off so he could go swimming and he had red dots all over his stomach....back on the plane we went.

Anyway...I'm not sure the kids can get the vaccine if they've been exposed to it. It may be one of those times where they might just have to ride it out. Watch for the red spots and signs of fever.

Wish I could help more! Good luck!

Call your doctor just to see what they say - you don't have to go in unless they want to see the children. I'd be more worried about the 2 year old than the 4 year old. Older kids can handle it pretty well but the toddler may need an extra eye on him/her and is at a much higher risk for being hospitalized.

Most people in this country greatly underestimate chicken pox and it's true that in most cases it's just a week of uncomfortable itching bumps. However, before the vaccine came along, tens of thousands of young children ended up in the hospital and quite a few died from it.

Do to the fact they have all ready been exposed and I think the frame is something like 10 days to 2 weeks getting a shot to put the active germ into their system might not be the best idea at this time. They could come down with the pox sooner if their resistance isn't good. My mom never got the chicken pox and took care of me, my brother, and both of my children when they had them. In fact both of my children came down with them while sleeping with her on overnights to her house.
My daughter and I had fairly light cases of the chicken pox and my brother and son had very bad cases of them.
I would look it up, but I would also talk to my physician's office regarding the matter before doing anything.

Call your child's ped. Your Ped can tell you if it will help to get the vaccine. I will say, most cases of chicken pox are not life-threatening to children. But a neighbor with 5 children would have said the same thing. Then her son had ITP. Unexplained bruising or petechiae is also a sign of childhood leukemia. Her child had to go through a round of tests to rule that out, and the worry that went with it for the family. Then her daughter got cellulitis, an infection at one of the pox sites. She is now a definite believer in the vaccine. So problems do occur with chickenpos. It was not just a chance for the drug manufacturers to make money, it can be a real problem!
Good luck. Reminder, with Easter coming, incubation period is 10-21 days from exposure. That means they could come down with the chickenpox anytime in that time period. Allso, they are contagious for 1-2 days before the first pox shows up. And they don't always run a fever before outbreak.
R.

i work in a licenced daycare center and with the shot you can still have a milder case. I have never heard of fair completion affecting it at all(my on is a redhead and very fair). as far as to get the shot or not.... if you go to a state licenced daycare or public schools it is required unless they have had chicken pox. My son had to get it to go to my daycare but my personal opinion is there is not enough research on it. if you have mild chix pox the virus lays dormant in your body and can come to surface as shingles as an adult, so wiht the shot you have a mild case so will all these kids eventually end up with shingles?? just my thoughts. My son had the shot over a year ago and no reaction at all. by the way i got shingles last summer (a week before my brothers wedding) and they are not fun.

I know this is back and forth but those r my thoughts