What do they do with kids who actually had chickenpox in their early years? My kids all had it before the age of 6, and one of them had it twice since his first outbreak happened very mildly. My children never received vaccinations. What do they do with these kids? It WAS noted in their medical records from the doctor though.
Generally speaking, evidence of previously having had chickenpox is considered evidence of immunity, in the same way vaccination is. A blood test that shows the antibodies are present will also normally meet the test. They just need to know the kid is unlikely to get the disease even if exposed. Vaccination, previous illness, or proven antibodies in a blood test all provide that assurance and mean exclusion from school is not required.
Note, that with these kids, a blood test would let them go to the prom. Unfortunately, it seems that the turnaround time for such test results isn’t fast enough.
Read the article excerpt. You can get a blood test to prove you have immunity.
When the shot was first introduced they just accepted the parents info on the records, but now that the shot has been out long enough for all kids to have been vaccinated and outbreaks are rare I think they require proof of immune status and would probably accept a doctor’s statement to that effect, or as in this article a blood test demonstrating immune status.
The shot was new when my kids were toddlers and I didn’t get them done because I have reservations about the basis for it since it doesn’t confer lifetime immunity but will require boosters every 10 years or so. Unfortunately, my kids didn’t get chickenpox and so I had them immunized for it with their other boosters at age 12 so they wouldn’t get it as teens.
It still seems massively stupid to me to immunized children for what is relatively mild in childhood, but much more severe and difficult in adults and then have to give boosters every decade because the vaccine doesn’t produce permanent immunity. I half expect that there will end up being some ugly outbreaks in a stressed out workforce in another decade or two.
I do advocate that older folks (of which I am rapidly becoming one) get the shingles vaccine. I have had to friends get shingles and have it settle in their optic nerve, causing severe pain and vision problems. One is still suffering from after effects because it takes a long time to recover and stress just sets it off again.