can I have a child vaccinated against chicken pox if already exposed?

[bonzo77]

if DS has already had chicken pox is it dangerous to vaccinate him

DS might have been exposed to chicken pox, but if he has had it it was very mild (no more than a dozen spots on bum and hands that blistered then crusted, preceded by cold symptoms). My dad and grandma are both prone to shingles, and every time there is any suspicion of the pox I have to change various arrangements just in case. So really vaccinating him is not so much for DS's benefit, but for dad, grandma and mine. Obviously I know that DS could benefit. And I assume that although it is not part of the childhood vaccination schedule in the UK, it is elsewhere so is probably safe. Oh and I know that I will be paying privately.

Your dad and grandma will not catch shingles through being exposed to chicken pox, so there's no need to vaccinate him for that reason.

why not get his immunity checked instead? if he has had it, he could well be immune anyway, no matter how mildly he had it.

daisy that's interesting, and quite the opposite to what I've been told in the past. Not saying you're wrong though.

silver I was thinking about that. Would that mean a blood test? I think that would be more distressing for him than a quick jab. If I knew that getting the jab despite possible previous exposure was safe, I would rather do that.

It's a very common misconception and probably arises because you can catch chicken pox from shingles but not the other way round. See here

daisy i just googled it. How wrong was I? I can't believe that I held that bit of misinformation to be true! Well that negates my original question.

Yes, it is safe to have a vaccination despite being exposed though, although it may mean he has a stronger reaction the jab.

But on the plus side, if he hasn't actually had chicken pox and you do get him vaccinated, then he won't get shingles when he's older either (I don't think - waits to be corrected!)

Daisy is right. Your relatives will have the shingle virus in their body, it is the same virus that causes chicken pox. So after having chicken pox the virus lies dormant and can be reactivated, normally when stressed or runs down and reactivates as shingles.

Someone can catch chicken pox from someone with shingles but not other way round. Your son probably is immune though even if he only had a few spots.

Also there has been a shingles vaccine developed now which your relatives could ask their GP about, not sure if it's been Okayd for use in the UK yet.

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that the reason why children are not routinely vaccinated against chicken pox is because the vaccine does not protect for a lifetime. As it is usually a mild disease in children it is therefore better to catch chicken pox when young rather than when much older after the vaccine has stopped working and there are more likely to be complications. Something else to consider...

that's so helpful. I knew I could turn to MN and get good advice. I checked daisy's link and have forwarded it to my parents. Actually my parents couldn't remember if I'd had chicken pox and I was exposed while pregnant so had to get a blood test to check immunity. I was immune. My mum said I must have had it but so mildly she didn't notice! Maybe like mother (me) like son (DS).

If you are exposed to chicken pox, either by catching the disease or the vaccine you may develop shingles in the future which is why chicken pox is not a routine vaxination in the UK.