I know a while ago I heard that there was some uncertainty over whether or not the vaccine would keep you from getting shingles later in life, or give you a nice reservoir of virus for shingles later in life, or whatever. Has there been anything else on that?
It really specifically matters all of a sudden. I’m 29. I never got the chicken pox as a child despite multiple exposures, so at 15 or so they gave me the vaccine so that I wouldn’t run the risk of getting it when I was older. My parents have both had the chicken pox, but my dad is not in the best of health and had a horrible, horrible outbreak of shingles eight years or so ago. He has since had the shingles vaccine, but I’m not really clear on how that one works.
We’re supposed to be going on a cruise in a few weeks with my evil half brother, his wife, and his three kids. The kids are 14, 12, and 11. I’m not sure if any of them have had the vaccine, but the 12 year old came down two days ago with chicken pox.
We are concerned that while he should be feeling better by the time we leave, the other two might have gotten it and not be showing symptoms yet.
Am I safe around a contagious kid? Is my dad? Because coming down with chicken pox at my age on day one of a multiday ocean trip is not my idea of a good time.
First off, vaccines causing shingles is a conspiracy theory peddled by various anti-vaccine groups. The truth is that it is not well understood why people get shingles. How viruses go from dormant to active is something of a mystery.
Interestingly enough, the shingles vaccine really is just a more potent chickenpox vaccine. So what these conspiracy theorists decry is actually the only way to prevent shingles. The vaccine dates from 2005 or so and has a 50% success rate.
It was my impression that at least a few years ago the vaccinated people hadn’t lived long enough to find out what their incidence of shingles was going to be.
It has been recommended that you get it twice- an initial chicken pox shot, and then a follow up a few years later. At least one of my kids is due for the second vax, but we are waiting because it is a live virus vaccine and my nephew is a transplant patient (my kids couldn’t go anywhere near him for several days/weeks after a live virus vaccination). Once he is more than a year past his transplant date, the risks will be lessened somewhat.
I had shingles when I was 29 and then again when I was 45. Get the damn shot and get a booster as often as the doctor recommends. I was terribly stressed both times I got shingles, and stress is related to incidences, but the when and how? Nobody knows. Much cheaper (even at $300 per) to get the shot than to lose weeks of work and suffer. I had a friend who had shingles at 78 and it lasted for months, severe pain and all.
The risk of contracting shingles after getting the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine appears lower than for those who contract chickenpox.
“The risk of zoster following vaccination appears to be less than that following infection with the varicella virus. The majority of cases of shingles following vaccine have been mild and have not been associated with serious complications.”
More long-term studies are needed to quantify this more precisely (though it makes sense to me that getting a full-blown infection means a heavier viral load than vaccination, and more virions available to go dormant and reactivate later in the form of shingles).
Regarding the person mentioned eariler who is a transplant patient with lowered immune function - these people are being placed at especially high risk by antivaxers and those they convince that it’s “healthier” for their kids to get chickenpox “naturally”, and promote “chickenpox parties” where a bunch of kids get sick at once. I doubt that all these parents are being conscientious about isolating their kids so no one else gets sick (another problem is that you can’t predict which children will get severe/life-threatening complications of wild-type chickenpox infection).
About one in three adults currently are at risk for getting shingles at some point in their lives. Here’s hoping the shingles vaccine gets improved so that few people ever have to suffer from this nasty disease.
I’m 29. I never got the chicken pox as a child despite multiple exposures, so at 15 or so they gave me the vaccine so that I wouldn’t run the risk of getting it when I was older. My parents have both had the chicken pox, but my dad is not in the best of health and had a horrible, horrible outbreak of shingles eight years or so ago. He has since had the shingles vaccine, but I’m not really clear on how that one works.