Immunization shots...chicken pox

[joojoobeware]

I've gotten most of my immunization shots except for the hep B and the varicella (chicken pox). I was wondering if anyone has gotten this vaccination? I have never had chicken pox (as far as I and my mom can tell) and I was wondering what sorta side effects are associated with the vaccination?
I've heard of rashes and sores in the area of injection. But most of the people (70%) have no reaction...Anyone know first hand?

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[pcl]

A lady in my office developed the chicken pox from the vaccination. Other than that, I had the real thing when I was a kid, so I had no need to get it. I have heard that it's more difficult as an adult though...

 

[cpw]

Wish I could help.. I had the chicken pox at age seven. And according to my titer.. I'm immune to Hepatitis after ONE shot. (weird) Oh well, it saved me lots of money

Good luck with the shot! *crosses fingers for you * We'll wish for the best!

 

[Dreamer]

If first hand means that my child was immunized from both, then:
1. Hep, nothing
2. Few vesiccels and while they are not dry you are contagious. kid had just few (literally), 27 years ago I had, just got tired to count.

 

[Popoy]

Sorry... got pox when I was a wee little small lad!!!

Hey, you might want to get a titer for the heck of it.... maybe, just maybe, you're immune to it already and you don't even know it?!

 

[joojoobeware]

yeah i was going to check before I get it...
my bros had it, and before they had it, I was in contact with them...but i might have been too young...not sure...
Well, both of them had it and I still did not get affected...
Got one of my hep shots, but I'm sure I have to start my whole series over again.
I understand that when adults get chicken pox it is worse, but if you get the vaccination, I was wondering if they are just VERY mild symptoms of the disease. From some of the literature I found, it said that 70-80 percent do not show significant symptoms while others complained of having blisters and sores in the affected area. Also, some doctors feel that the immunization wears off over time, but just recently has there been an actual case where a Japanese man had an immunity 20 years after his shot.

 

[scully]

I am sure that you won't get Chicken pox from the vaccine--from experience I can tell you it can be TERRIBLE to have it as an adult. I got it at 21, and I suffered for weeks!

Has anyone had trouble getting the Tetanus shot? I have been told that there is a nation-wide shortage, and that they are saving all they have (in Northern California at least) for emergencies.

Also, does anyone know of anybody having adverse reactions to HepB? I have seen that there was fear that it causes MS, but supposedly this is not true (that is a scary thought though!)

 

[Peregrin]

I got both shots for varicella. No side effects, no problems and the dry ice they ship them in is a lot of fun to play with!

I don't think you should worry.

 

[docuw]

Scully... not sure about the MS, but I do know that there used to be two forms of the HepB... one was from humans, and one was pharmaceutically made. The Human version had lots of problems. I think all of this vaccine is now of the safer pharm version.

 

[jayhawk premed]

After my last two children were born, the pediatricians tried to push me to have the varicella vaccine for both kids. I refused, and I'll tell you why. Chicken pox is rarely a life-threatening illness in children. However, it can be much worse for an adult, and potentially fatal to a pregnant woman or her fetus. Most people get chicken pox as children and, subsequently, develop an immunity to the virus. I have not been able to find any long-term studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of the varicella vaccine. So how do we know that it is effective long term? What if it provides temporary immunity, but my chidren grow up and get chicken pox as adults--worse yet, when my daughter or my son's wife is pregnant? With a lack of available long term data, it's not worth the risk in my opinion. Furthermore, when I asked for data regarding incidence of adverse reactions and/or complications related to the vaccination nobody could supply me with stats. No thanks. I'd prefer that they get the pox as kids and be done with it.

 

[wooo]

got my tetanus yesterday

 

[Cassidy61]

I highly doubt that immunity will totally wear off over time. Maybe, worst case senario you would get a very mild form of varicella as an adult. There are no long term studies because this is new. However, if you remember people were raising a stink about how crappy the Hib vaccine was until they say herd immunity kick in. Now, everyone sings its praises. More than likely, varicella will exhibit herd immunity also. I don't know if you have ever seen a child die from those innocent little chickenpox, but it is not pretty. Although finances should not enter into this decision, consider this. You can immunize a whole large city three times over for the same cost of medically treating those very few children that develop severe varicella in that same city in a given year. I believe that the cost/benefit ratio both to the child and financially to our health care system still favor this vaccine.

 

[NurseyK]

Originally posted by Cassidy61:
•I highly doubt that immunity will totally wear off over time...•

...and they said that about the measles until our undergrad campus (and many others) had an outbreak in the late '80s....

That's why all you young'uns get 2 MMR shots.

Kat

 

[joojoobeware]

I have heard of one long term study of a Japanese man that had the vaccine, 20 years ago, and still showed an immunity...If you look up varicella vaccine, you should be able to find it on a website.
As for the tetanus shot...I too have heard there is a shortage...Go to a big hospital or county, they should have it. The smaller clinics won't...

 

[KG]

Would getting the vaccine and avoiding chicken pox cut down on the risk of shingles in the future? I'm not quite sure about the complete relationship there. The daughter of a friend of mine, about twelve, just had an episode of shingles, and it was quite painful for her. It wasn't diagnosed right away. I hadn't heard of it in children before.

I also had a friend that had chicken pox as an adult, and he was sick for about a month. Avoid it if you can! There is also, for parents, lost work time when the children have it and are sick for a week and a half.

Pediatric oncology departments hate chicken pox, because it can be deadly for the immune-suppressed.

That is a good point, though, that if the statistics aren't available about possible vaccine side-effects, you can't be completely informed.

 

[Cassidy61]

No chicken pox = no shingles. The varicella zoster virus retreats to the dorsal root ganglia and rears its ugly head at times of physiologic stress in a classic dermatomal distribution. And shingles in kids and young adults is not unheard of by any stretch.

 

[RockOn]

Get the HepB vaccination. You don't have to start over even if it has been a long time since your first shot. Also, someone else was right about it all being lab made now.
Don't know about the varicella vacc. b/c had it when I was 12. Had them in my ears and mouth. Wouldn't wish it on a rabid dog so suck it up and take the vaccine. I think the chance of getting it from some kid at a clinic is huge vs getting it from the vaccine. You can't hide forever if you're in the medical field!

Final note: To all of those who have had your round of HepB...Get your titer checked! I assumed mine was okay and when I went for my physical I was Negative! Now have to get the round all over again. This time it's one shot every 28 days for 3 mths. (and the R of my MMR was negative so I had to get a booster for that) I'm 25 not tweleve. What am I doing getting a second round of boosters. This scares me about my inherent immunity and doing an infectious disease rotation.

 

[cavaor]

Have you considered getting a test to see if you already have immunity? I planned on getting the chicken pox test and my physician suggested I take this test first. It turns out that I have immunity tho I have never had chicken pox. Sure made my day!

 

[Peregrin]

Do you even have a choice? I have to have had varicella prior to entry into med school or I can't start. So it is a no-brainer. Same with hepB and tetanus (and of course the infant shots like MMR).

There is a shortage nation-wide for tetanus by the way. But as a health care worker, you should be able to get it.

happy injecting.

 

[sniperbubble]

It's really interesting that we're talking about the varicella vaccine shot. I just had my second and last shot of the varicella vaccine. After the first shot, I was completely normal. But after the second shot, I experienced a WEEK of vertigo. When I was walking down the stairs or just moving my head, I'd feel so disorientated. I went to see the doctor and he prescribed me meclizine(antivert), a drug to stop the dizziness.

I did a little research on the varicella vaccine and couldn't find dizziness as one of the side effects. I honestly don't know if the varicella caused the dizziness, but it seems so suspicious to me that the morning after the shot, I couldn't rise out of bed because I was feeling so disorientated.

 

[Peregrin]

I knew someone with the same symptoms! Did you smoke marijuana right afterward also?


That was a joke.


A bad one.


but a joke....