[cajungirl]

Maybe that is why everyone I know is getting shingles. If you have chicken pox, the virus lingers around in nerve tisse to hit you with Herpes Zoster, the shingles later in life. It is horrible to have. These parents need to think about that. I think with the vaccine, you may not get shingles. Not sure but it makes sense to me.

[cajungirl]

And another thing, these anti vaccine people depend on "herd immunity" to protect their kids. The rest of the kids get the vaccine thus lessening the chance of an epidemic and the non vaccinated kids not only don't get the disease but don't take the risk that everyone else takes. The ultimate in selfishness.

[nycgal]

I had chicken pox as a child. For the past 15 years I've been getting hit with shingles every two years or so. Not fun.

[FITZ]

These parents need to think about that. I think with the vaccine, you may not get shingles.

I don't think that's proven, if anything, I think the vaccine doesn't get the antibody titers up high enough and I'd worry about it fading later, just as measles vaccines are now known to fade and leave an older teenager susceptible to measles when the normal childhood disease protects them better.

[twigs]

You're right. I had chicken pox TWICE as a child and shingles at 17. It was extremely painful. I also had a series of eye problems during college that was suspected to have been caused by a herpes virus (not the sexual kind). When my own daughter got chicken pox, I asked the doctor if I could still be at risk, given my history. He said that he honestly didn't know, but that I should be on the lookout. Nothing happened. Also, abaout 100 children die each year with chicken pox.

[Chemnitz]

I don't think there is a direct connection between shingles and chicken pox. I am no doctor, but I think that has been refuted. I had cp and I don't have shingles. Very few have it, but I know it is horrible to live with.