Well Duh!!!!

[misol]

Just my humble opinion, but this is why you don't intentionally get your kids sick...

"For many years, chicken pox was felt to be a harmless disease of childhood. In fact, there are about 6,500 to 9,000 hospitalizations annually in the United States due to the illness, and about one hundred to two hundred deaths each year from complications due to chicken pox. While the complications and death rate for healthy children are minimal, the illness can be much more severe in adolescents and adults. After the chicken pox illness is over, the VZV establishes permanent latency in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. It is possible for the virus to reactivate at a later time and cause shingles, a painful skin disorder"

http://www.massgeneral.org/children/...icken_pox.aspx

Jen, that does sounds like a very scary number but what percent of the total number of cases of chicken pox does this represent? Aren't there millions of cases each year? For otherwise healthy children, chicken pox HAD been considered a mild childhood disease...up until the manufacturers needed to sell their new vaccine! Now they have you believe that it is an automatic death sentence or something.

My daughter had some serious reactions to her first set of immunizations (this is VERY rare) and we decided, along with her doctor, to not continue her shots. My son however has all of his and I keep them up to date. Our daughter got the chicken pox two years ago and it was horrible! She was in the hospital for close to a week it was so severe. So I just cant understand anyone wanting to willingly inflict this on your child. She is not a sickly child and has nothing wrong with her (her doctors just said that this is the sort of thing that can happen with the chicken pox) I am so thankful that we most likely will not have to worry about this with our son

Aww, I am so sorry that all of this happened to your poor daughter. Since the vaccines are given several at a time, I'm sure they couldn't isolate which one in particular she had the reaction to. Curious to know: Was the chicken pox vaccine one of the shots she received? Did your son get the chicken pox vaccine? Did he get chicken pox?

when we had the outbreak, over half of the kids who got the chicken pox had had the vaccination and STILL caught it.

Yes, having the virus young, can result in shingles later BUT, it's better that then get chicken pox as an adult, which can be deadly.

Crystal, I think this was also the case with an outbreak of measles in one of the schools a couple of years ago - most of the kids who caught it HAD been vaccinated.

And I guess we shouldn't concern ourselves with shingles too much either because guess what? They have a vaccine for that too!



A couple of you expressed concerns about parents intentionally exposing their children to a sickness or disease. Well that is EXACTLY what you are doing when you inject a live virus directly into your child's bloodstream! I love my children dearly and I want what is best for them so of course I never want to see them hurt or sick. However, I'd rather have them uncomfortable for a few days with the pox than to chance them having an adverse reaction to an immunization. My own children are very healthy but I have a history of severe allergies in my family so I'm not willing to risk it. Not for chicken pox anyway.

[MarinaVanessa]

I agree. I feel better about getting the pox naturally rather than injections. My daughter has all of the necessary injections (required by the school) but I'd rather not give her any more than I absolutely have to.

[Daycare Mommy]

A couple of you expressed concerns about parents intentionally exposing their children to a sickness or disease. Well that is EXACTLY what you are doing when you inject a live virus directly into your child's bloodstream!

The chicken pox vaccine is attenuated (weakened, but still live) virus and gives the kids a mild case of the pox in some cases. (Had a daycare boy get the vaccine and then come down with a "mild" case and was out for a week.) Mom was TICKED that they didn't warn her that this could happen. She didn't even know it was a live virus vaccine. I called a pediatrician's office once and had the nurse INSIST to me repeatedly that it is a killed virus in this vaccine. (She even "researched" it and called me back) We can't count on these people to be our only source of information on keeping our kids healthy. If they don't even take the time to read up on this stuff before injecting it into our kids, then the parents need to start educating themselves BEFORE stepping into the office.

After the chicken pox illness is over, the VZV establishes permanent latency in the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord. It is possible for the virus to reactivate at a later time and cause shingles, a painful skin disorder"

But they don't make it clear that having the Chicken Pox vaccine does not save you from this. You can develop shingles if you've had the vaccine OR the real chicken pox.

[jen]

Jen, that does sounds like a very scary number but what percent of the total number of cases of chicken pox does this represent? Aren't there millions of cases each year? For otherwise healthy children, chicken pox HAD been considered a mild childhood disease...up until the manufacturers needed to sell their new vaccine! Now they have you believe that it is an automatic death sentence or something.

I completely agree that percentage wise the chances of a child getting seriously ill from the Chicken Pox is pretty low. Still, I wouldn't intentionally make my child ill. I don't think that if one of my kids were one of the unfortunate few who become very ill or even die, that I would take any consolation in the fact that is was a one-in-a-million thing...especially if I did it on purpose.

[momofboys]

I completely agree that percentage wise the chances of a child getting seriously ill from the Chicken Pox is pretty low. Still, I wouldn't intentionally make my child ill. I don't think that if one of my kids were one of the unfortunate few who become very ill or even die, that I would take any consolation in the fact that is was a one-in-a-million thing...especially if I did it on purpose.

I agree with you 110%!

[Daycare Mommy]

I completely agree that percentage wise the chances of a child getting seriously ill from the Chicken Pox is pretty low. Still, I wouldn't intentionally make my child ill. I don't think that if one of my kids were one of the unfortunate few who become very ill or even die, that I would take any consolation in the fact that is was a one-in-a-million thing...especially if I did it on purpose.

I can see that, but it's scary either way though.. If they get it when they aren't little anymore that small chance of complications that can lead to death significantly increases. I do understand the parents that seek out the real chicken pox when they are younger. A stressful and hard decision to make either way you go, but nobody said parenting is easy.

[misol]

The chicken pox vaccine is attenuated (weakened, but still live) virus and gives the kids a mild case of the pox in some cases. (Had a daycare boy get the vaccine and then come down with a "mild" case and was out for a week.) Mom was TICKED that they didn't warn her that this could happen. She didn't even know it was a live virus vaccine. I called a pediatrician's office once and had the nurse INSIST to me repeatedly that it is a killed virus in this vaccine. (She even "researched" it and called me back) We can't count on these people to be our only source of information on keeping our kids healthy. If they don't even take the time to read up on this stuff before injecting it into our kids, then the parents need to start educating themselves BEFORE stepping into the office.



But they don't make it clear that having the Chicken Pox vaccine does not save you from this. You can develop shingles if you've had the vaccine OR the real chicken pox.

Agreed! They will tell you all the pros but parents also need to know the cons as well. I just want parents to be able to make informed decisions about immunizations. If after hearing both sides of the argument you choose to immmunize you kids then that is great. But don't vaccinate solely because your doctor or the government told you to. We cannot put ALL of our faith in doctors. The health and safety of our children is OUR responsibility.

There is small chance that a child will have a severe case of chicken pox just as there is a small chance that a child will have a severe reaction to a vaccine. You are taking a chance either way.