If you don't vax for CP, why would you not expose them?

goodheartedmommy

You're going to hope they never come in contact with it? I don't get this reasoning at all. When we were kids, we were all just exposed because everyone got it. Now when not many kids get it, I can't figure out why you would not expose them if you have the chance. If they don't get the vaccine, you want them to gain natural immunity.

Brideofranken

I WOULD expose them, I guess.

IF I get the chance, I may.

FLAME THAT!

goodheartedmommy

Brideofranken:

I WOULD expose them, I guess.

IF I get the chance, I may.

FLAME THAT!

See the pox party post below. There were several who said they weren't vaxing against it but won't purposefully expose their kids. 

Mickschick

I don't know what the CP is abbreviating....

 However; don't you think parents should at least get the CHOICE to expose their children?

I mean if it was a case where a child had something and the parent had NO IDEA and that is how other children got exposed to something that is one thing. But if you know your child has something contagious and then you choose not to say anything and expose other's I think that's not right.

Mickschick

Okay- I now know that CP stands for Chicken Pox...LOL.

So my reply may be null and void

goodheartedmommy

Mickschick:

I don't know what the CP is abbreviating....

 However; don't you think parents should at least get the CHOICE to expose their children?

I mean if it was a case where a child had something and the parent had NO IDEA and that is how other children got exposed to something that is one thing. But if you know your child has something contagious and then you choose not to say anything and expose other's I think that's not right.

Chicken pox. We're talking about not vaccinating against them, but also not exposing them. Everyone I know that doesn't vax for CP goes to pox parties. I know I plan to. 

eclaires

I guess I don't see how that mindset is any different than people who don't vax for measles, mumps, rubella - isn't the argument that it's mostly eradicated and don't people rely on herd immunity when choosing NOT to vax their kids for those diseases?

Since CP is no longer as common due to the vax [most likely] perhaps people think they won't come into contact with it so they can rely on the fact that it's no longer a common childhood ailment and don't need to expose their kids to protect them.

I don't know.  I chose to have Jackson vax'd for CP.

DandelionMom

I cringe at the term Pox Party.  That is all.

Temp108743750006959

I think maybe some might worry about a possible legality? so, for example, you throw a pox party and one child in the party gets encephalitis and dies.

you could get the same with throwing a party where you serve alcohol -- someone attends your party, gets bombed, drives home and dies. doesn't stop people from throwing parties with alcohol, but it certainly doesn't stop people from suing for such a scenario.

shopgirl_07

I didn't vax for it because it wasn't available when my son was young. I assumed he'd get it at some point but I still didn't believe in intentionally exposing him. Something about that feels very wrong. Nature should take it's course, not be forced.

Angela814

I thought the reason we were all exposed as kids is that chicken pox is very serious in adults but not so much in kids. This was before there was a vaccine available.

I'd say the mindset still holds true today. If you're not going to vaccinate your child, you want them to get the disease when they are younger, not as an adult.

We chose to have DD vaccinated against the CP now. Is there a vaccine available for adults?

juniper19

eclaires:

I guess I don't see how that mindset is any different than people who don't vax for measles, mumps, rubella - isn't the argument that it's mostly eradicated and don't people rely on herd immunity when choosing NOT to vax their kids for those diseases?

Since CP is no longer as common due to the vax [most likely] perhaps people think they won't come into contact with it so they can rely on the fact that it's no longer a common childhood ailment and don't need to expose their kids to protect them.

I don't know.  I chose to have Jackson vax'd for CP.

The difference is that with measles, mumps, rubella, the risks are from the disease itself.  With CP the risk is not only CP, but shingles as an adult.  So you want your child to have the immunity that CP gives you to shingles.  I'm guessing anyway.  I give my kids all their vaccines.

eclaires

But if you have CP, you have the potential to develop shingles as an adult, right?

I've had CP and shingles, and I thought I developed shingles due to having had CP already?  

Like if they never get CP, they'll never get shingles...

Who knows... if the CP vax wasn't available, I wouldn't take Jackson to a pox party b/c I figure if he gets CP, he gets it. 

alpineflower

It is really dangerous to get CP as an adult, no? My pedi made me promise DS would get vaccinated (or CP itself) before he turns 5.

eclaires

I guess I'm unclear on the danger as an adult?  Like will it be a bad case or are there other repercussions that are more harmful...

I really know very little about the whole CP vax debate, obviously.  I guess what I'm saying is that if I didn't vax Jackson I would approach it how my parents approached it - if he gets it, ok, but I'm not going to expose him to it on purpose.  I guess now the difference is that it is not common or expected for kids to get it due to the vaccine, but at the same time, doesn't that make it less likely in general for an adult to be exposed to it too?  That's my thought/question/whatever on why people might not vax and still not go to a "pox party."

wildflower865

Our school district, or it might be our state, mandates that we do vaccinate before Kindergarten for CP.

lsufan

I'm pretty sure you can only get shingles if you HAVE had CP.  So vaccinating against CP does not protect you from shingles.

I see the point about exposing your kids to it when they're young, because it tends to be more dangerous when they're older.  But it just seems wrong somehow to purposely get your kids sick.  I've known people who had it as a kid and ended up with permanent scars and were very ill.

And where are these pox parties?  I wouldn't know where to find one even if I wanted to expose my kids to it.  And what happens at them?  I know it's pretty contagious, but how do you make sure they're exposed to the virus?  Does the infected kid sneeze all over the toys or something?  Not trying to be snarky.  I'm really curious how these things work.

 

Temp108743750006959

I thought the CP vax also include some protection against shingles. but maybe I'm wrong.

alpineflower

https://chickenpox.emedtv.com/chickenpox/adult-chickenpox-p2.html

"Chickenpox complications are more likely to occur in adults than in children. Despite the fact that adults account for only 5 percent of chickenpox cases per year, they account for a disproportionate number of deaths (55 percent) and hospitalizations (33 percent) compared to children.

Most complications of adult chickenpox are caused by an infection from bacteria. These bacteria can cause chickenpox complications that include:

 

• Skin or soft tissue infections
• Pneumonia (usually more severe in adults, as well as children over 13 years old)
• Bone infections (osteomyelitis)
• Joint infections (septic arthritis)
• Toxic shock syndrome.
   

Other serious adult chickenpox complications directly related to the chickenpox virus can include:

 

• Infection of the brain (encephalitis)
• Bleeding problems
• Cerebellar ataxia"

And that is why it's important you either 1- get the CP vax, or 2- go to a pox party and allow your child to get it naturally.

eclaires

eclaires:

I guess I'm unclear on the danger as an adult?  Like will it be a bad case or are there other repercussions that are more harmful...

I really know very little about the whole CP vax debate, obviously.  I guess what I'm saying is that if I didn't vax Jackson I would approach it how my parents approached it - if he gets it, ok, but I'm not going to expose him to it on purpose.  I guess now the difference is that it is not common or expected for kids to get it due to the vaccine, but at the same time, doesn't that make it less likely in general for an adult to be exposed to it too?  That's my thought/question/whatever on why people might not vax and still not go to a "pox party."

Even after seeing the problems with adults getting CP, I still have the same question/thought about why people might not seek it out via pox party.

I get that it's more dangerous for adults -- I just don't get how now with the vaccine the situation is any different from when we were kids, when as far as I know, pox parties weren't very common.  I mean, if you didn't get it by a certain time, did you go hunting around for CP for your pre-pubescent kid since the vax wasn't an option or did you just let it go and figure if they get it as an adult, they'll deal with it then.  It just seems, to me, that if CP is less prevalent due to the vaccine wouldn't it also be less likely our children would come into contact w/ it as adults.

LestaMarie

I don't hope they won't come in contact with it - but I would prefer to just have it happen...I just cannot see myself taking my kids to a "pox party."  I don't know...maybe my opinion will change later, but my gut reaction is "no."

Mrs Manners

We aren't going to vaccinate unless it's required when he goes to school. However, I have no desire to deliberately expose my child to an illness in hopes that he'll catch it. If he get it, he gets it naturally.

Aliliv

If you didn't vax for CP, here are some compelling reasons IMO NOT to willingly and actively expose your child to CP:

1)  CP is particularly dangerous for newborn babies, elderly, and people with weakened immune systems.    By actively seeking to expose child to CP with the intention for them to catch, the child then could be exposing more people with the disease and so on and so on.   Socially speaking, we often rely on herd immunity to better protect the above mentioned people.

2) There is no guarantee that your child will develop a mild case of chicken pox and the disease is not guaranteed to be without complications.

FYI:  it is hoped that the vaccine will aid in erradicating or lessening the incidence of shingles in older people.

shopgirl78

Once one of us got CP, my mom made no precautions in trying not to expose all of us.  She wanted to get it over with at once.  I think (unless my child was too young) I'd do the same.  

goodheartedmommy

Hmmm...well, I have a pretty crunchy group of friends, with everyone "knowing" others around here. I've been invited to several pox parties already, but of course, Maile is way too young and I'd like Ethan and Bella to be a bit older.

I did get an offer once for a sucker pre-licked by a child with CP, lol. They wrap it up in saran wrap and overnight it to you. Seriously.

 

hopefulmom

There is absolutely NO guarantee that your child will get CP at a pox party.  When my older kids were young there were no vaccines for CP...although I kept asking my pedi why not.  My DD played with a girl at school all day, even rode home with her sleeping on her shoulder...the girl had a fever and that evening was covered in pox.  My DD was 5 at the time and did not get them from her!  When she was 16 she DID get them and was miserable and got a bacterial infection IN the pox themselves and was out of school (and getting new pox) for 3 weeks!!  That's really bad when you are in 11th grade!  My DS (just a couple of years younger NEVER got them from his sister!  He got them a couple of years later and had a really bad case (but no bacterial infection...just a really high fever).  I have no clue as to who my kids caught it from.  My younger kids have been immunized. 

BTW...I was in 6th grade when I got them even though I had been exposed many times previous to that and I have two really bad scars (that I wish I didn't have!).