Given the increased risk of infection severity in adults, getting the chicken pox vaccine if not previously vaccinated or infected is generally a less risky path than hoping to avoid infection for the rest of your life.
However, the weakened virus in the chicken pox vaccine can still hide and later reappear to cause shingles, although severity is likely to be lower. But then getting shingles vaccine when of the appropriate age can be done.
I was born in 1957 and remember having mumps and being told I had measles (both kinds). But the story in my family was that all 3 of my siblings had chicken pox, but I did not. D had a clear case of chicken pox as a preschooler and although I was her primary caregiver, I did not catch it. My suspicion is that I did have it as a child, but likely a mild case and with my siblings being sick, it was overlooked.
I have had the shingles shots.
It is easy to forget how âyoungâ the chicken pox vaccine is (1990s in the US). My daughter got the first one when it was first released. She then needed to get the second one when it replaced that first one. There are many adults today who would not have gotten the chicken pox vaccine as a child since it did not exist then. However, I would think the vast majority of them did have chicken pox as a child.
D2 was the first group of kids who got the chicken pox vaccine. A year ago I told her to get another one in case should get pregnant. D1 had chicken pox when she was a toddler.
My body felt achy today. Not sure if itâs from the pneumonia vaccine or the MMR.
My first 3 kids had the chicken pox before my youngest was born. My fourth was in the group first offered the vaccine. She was vaccinated at age one and got a case of chickenpox at age ten. We were then told that a second dose of the vaccine was being recommended.
Our internists prefer we get the blood testâtiters because they arenât sure at our older ages one more booster is a good idea. We were fine with getting the blood test to see what guidance we get.
My kids had chicken pox before the vaccine came out. S actually had it twice ⊠he infected his preschool and Sunday School classes, and that was the only reason we knew he actually had them the second time. We thought he had an allergic reaction to pine sap from climbing a pine tree shirtless (the second time was less severe for him). Then he got shingles in his early twenties at a very stressful time in his life. Poor kid!
So itâs a shame anyone has measles. I bet all there are those saying no vax are the first oneâs with their families in line to get it.
It should be malpractice to be so irresponsible.
Reading that Harrison Ford will not be at the Oscars tomorrow due to having Shingles. I wonder if he had gotten the shots?
My daughter got her first chickenpox shot in Jan 1997 (born in 1996). Doc asked âdo you want it now or at 18 months?â like I had no choice at all. She got another at age 5 when going to K, and another at age 12 or so. Probably needs another now as sheâs heading toward 30.
Second daughter got 1st at age 2.5 when she came to the USA, the second at 4.5 when she was going to K, and Iâm guessing the 3rd at age 11 or 12 when her sister did. Also probably due for another but unlikely as she doesnât even get a flu shot even though she had the flu twice in the same year. And I think she had the chickenpox when a baby in China (a few pox marks on her).
My D born in 1995 got the chicken pox vaccine at 18 months. At 5 she had a serious case of chicken pox. She had titers drawn for HIB before going to college and needed another series of shots. She also had titers drawn for MMR at a âpre-conceptionâ appointment and again was not immune to measles or rubella so had another vaccine. I think she doesnât seroconvert very well.
WellâŠif we are talking chicken poxâŠ
DS had a horrible case when he was 3 1/2 years old, and his sister was a three month old baby. In June. He had hundreds of chicken pox!
Fast forward to when DD was in 4 year old preschool. There were 28 kids in her class. 27 got the chicken pox. She was the only one who didnât. Then chicken pox went through her day careâŠand we said âexpose herââŠand they tried. She never got then chicken pox.
When the vaccine came out, we were right thereâŠbecause I didnât want to plan a trip to Disney and have the kid get the chicken pox. I think she has had a few additional chicken pox shotsâŠrequired for African travel, and maybe college physical?
Our S was mad because we made them play with cousinâs kid who had chickenpox when both were toddlers. They got mild cases and there was no vaccine at the time. D has since had shingles while a young teen. She was pretty miserable but fortunately no lasting nerve issues.
H had shingles as well, totally separate incident from D and he was miserable too (before shots were available).
The thing is, we took H and D to dermatologist and she said, use cortisone, just normal rash. Ummm, nope not as it turned out.
I had a few suspicious bumps a 3rd separate time and they had me see dermatologist who said it COULD be shingles and prescribed me an antiviral so it went away. Shortly thereafter a vaccine came out for shingles. My docs advised it so I got it even tho I was only 50 so had to pay out of pocket. Later when 2nd vax came out H&I got it, tho by then it was recommended for 50+.
Speaking of Disney, my husband was exposed when we were there in March 1990; the kids were 3 and 6. Once he realized he indeed had the chicken pox, he remembered seeing a kid on the bus from the parking lot that had pox on his face.
Husband was covered, but luckily not too sick. My 6 year old son was next, then my 3 year old daughter. All my daughter wanted to do was take oatmeal baths; I donât think she was that uncomfortable, she just like the thought of taking baths all day!
After nursing the 3 of them, I was ready to run away!
D was in family day care when our day care providers son was exposed to chicken pox. I figured he would have it in 2 weeks and D would have it in four. Thatâs exactly what happened- to the day! That was in 1993 or 1994.
S was born in 1996 and had the vaccine. I donât remember exactly but his doctor did not want him getting chicken pox because he had asthma and was sometimes on oral steroids. Apparently thatâs not a good combination.
Now 146 cases in Texas.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nationâs top health official and a vaccine critic, said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of the Health and Human Services was watching cases but dismissed the outbreak as ânot unusual.â
âThe number of cases â Texasâ largest in nearly 30 years â increased by 22 since Tuesday.â
Yeah, nothing unusual. 
He did proceed to walk it back some, but probably only due to some backlash.
Iâm asking here are you all seem to have more info that Iâm finding online. My kids, both born in 1996, got the MMR (one as scheduled as a baby, the other on a âcatch upâ schedule as she was adopted at age 2.5). They got whatever boosters were required and I, as a good mother, have no idea when those were but they were current when they went to college.
Since they never had the diseases, are they supposed to keep getting boosters throughout their lives? They are 28 and 29 and Iâm hoping for grandchildren soon. I donât want them getting any of the MMR when pregnant.
Any advice? (not that theyâll take it)
I canât weigh in your specific situation- but since both a D and DIL have had babies in the last few years, at the very first appointment the OB did the titers, and then recommended MMR booster immediately. And all four of the grandparents were told âyou want to see the newborn? Roll up your sleeveâ. And we all got tetanus boosters, flu shots, etc.
Your Dâs OB will likely be VERY on top of the vaccine schedule, protocols, etc. so I wouldnât worry about it now!
Measles and rubella immunity is supposedly lifetime for many, but titers sometimes find people whose antibodies are too low (although antibodies are not the entire story). Titers might be done in anticipation of pregnancy or starting a health care job.
Mumps immunity appears to fade faster than measles or rubella immunity.
