Chicken Pox at Preschool, Concerned About Baby Brother

My boys had chicken pox about 7 years ago. My older son was 3 1/2 and my baby was 9 months old. It happened just before they started doing the vaccinations here. Anyway, it was no big deal. The boys were hardly bothered by it. They both had mild fevers right before they spots broke out. They stayed home and played for a week, and had lots of baths with baking soda.

I did not have chicken pox as a child. I got it when I was 24 and it is the sickest I have ever been in my life.

When the vaccine came out we opted out of getting it for our kids for a number of reasons ... 1. it was too new and our insurance didn't pay for it, 2. It is NOT 100% effective, 3. It does NOT protect against shingles.

In fact when my oldest son came home with chicken pox ... I made him go hug his brother and sister for at least 5 minutes. Got all 3 done and over with in just a few weeks.

Edited to add: actually you DO want your baby to experience it first hand ... after two and by the age of 10 if possible (under two and sometimes the immunity isn't there afterwards, over 10 and it starts getting more and more uncomfortable and miserable). My dad is 70 years old and never had the chicken pox as a kid. Him getting them now not only would be extremely unpleasant but it could also be VERY dangerous and deadly for him. I don't know if he's gotten the vaccine for them or not, tho. I hope he has.

I know kids who have gotten it even with the vaccination. I would ask the pediatrician what to look for, when to be concerned, and how to treat it at home if he gets it. It's generally better to get it younger than older and he's 1 so that's better than a newborn.

I had it and my sister had it. The sks never had it (I believe they are vaccinated) and DD is also vaccinated, but I keep an eye on her anytime I hear about it because of the other kids I know who got it (albeit a milder case) anyway. And if you had it as a kid, you keep an eye on yourself for shingles.

My daughter had them at 8 months. Out of the four kids, she was the best one. Wake up cranky, a little Benadryl off to sleep. The others complained.
What's done is done, he was exposed and there is nothing you can do at this point.

if the older child does not get it most likely the baby at home will not get it.. it is nto that contagious that the brief exposure at pickup and drop off will get the baby sick.

however.. the chicken pox vaccine is not taht effective.. many kids with the vaccine still get chicken pox.. so your older child may get it.. yes it is 5-7 days of illness but unless the child has a medical condition.. they got over it.. no worries..

Okay, here's the Big Wakeup Call: even if your child had the vaccine.... AND/OR even if your child has already had chickenpox..... You are still at risk for your child to get it!

My son had a full-blown case at age 4....& again, another full-blown case at age ?13 (middle school). Both diagnosed by a doctor. With that 2nd round, it was determined that it's very possible that our son has had several other mild cases, too. Yikes!

& the thing with chickenpox....is that the warning symptoms (the fever & head cold start of it) are often overlooked. It's the rash that alerts parents. Since the contagious period begins with the fever....not much to worry about at this point....the damage is already possible done. :)

My son was about 2 when it ran through his sitter's.. They all got exposed, we all just brought them to the sitter's and let it run its course.
It was no biggie. Calamine lotion and benadryl for a week.

I think your baby would be lucky if he got it now. It is typically much milder of an illness the younger that you are when you contract it. Also the added benefit would be that he does not need to be vaccinated.

Nothing to worry.I don't think it wont be as bad as older kids do get.Younger kids tend to be less Milder. If he does just put on some lotion or some itching cream

Hi, M.:
You wrote on a prior post that you and your husband didn't
get to see your 4 year old girl's event at school.

Here you say you have a 1 year old baby. How come the babysitter
didn't go to the event with your baby?

Just wondering,
D.

The vaccine is not to STOP you from getting pox, it is to reduce the effects and make it more tolerable. My nephew had it twice before he was 4 and never went to day care a day in his life, but both cases were so mild he was hardly effected.

If your kids get it they get it. I also agree with the person who said that if your pre-k child does not get it then your 1yr old should be fine ... herd vaccination works for a reason.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your son who has had the vax for it still might get it. Most of my friends kids who have had the vax, still got it. One of them gave it to my daughter also when she was 2 and then my daughter had ANOTHER case of it when she was 4. I was ok with it though. Both were very mild cases and were confirmed by the dr. My son who is 5 is not vaxed and I really hope he gets the pox soon just to get it over with! Out of all the vax's I think this one fails the most. If your younger son does get it, then it's actually better for him than getting the shot because he will have a lifetime natural immunity to it.