Chicken pox & elderly mum

[ma4pie]

DSD has just come down with chicken pox (spots appeared last few hours). My DD has just spent the day with her and neither she nor I have ever had them. I'm currently caring for my elderly mum (80's) who has a variety of issues and I am probably overthinking this but concerned about the possibility of her getting shingles. Is it even worth me considering getting vaccinated? Mum doesn't have a suppressed immune system as such but is very weak right now. Whilst I can keep DD away in case, I need to be there regularly. Sod's law follows me around like a shadow and if I'm going to get vaccinated I need to do it asap. Any thoughts?

You can get chicken pox from skin to skin contact with shingles, but not the other way around as far as I know. So your Mum should be fine.

I would be more worried about you as chicken pox in adults can be very severe and if you get it you will be too ill to care for your Mum. My DH caught it in his mid-40s and was out of work for ages, and definitely wouldn't have been able care for anybody else.

Take multi-vitamins including vitamin D to see if you can give your immune system a boost, there's a chance you might not get it. My DH was exposed to chicken pox plenty of times at close quarters without catching it, but caught it through the air conditioning system at work when he was tired, over-worked and stressed.

Worth checking with your GP about vaccine, I don't know whether it will have time to take effect if you have already been exposed.

BlackAmericanoNoSugar thanks for the clarification - I remember this after reading your post but in my panic I'd forgotten! I feel much better now. If I was ill my DH could help with my mum - I was just worried about her getting more sick. I haven't had contact with DSD today - she was already in bed when I picked DD up - I'd only catch it from DD if she contracts it so I was hoping the vaccine would have at least 2 weeks to kick in.