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> We should be vaccinating kids against all of them rather than sending them to Chickenpox parties. This has been the standard of care ever since the vaccine b
by loeg 11mo ago
> We should be vaccinating kids against all of them rather than sending them to Chickenpox parties.
This has been the standard of care ever since the vaccine became available in the 90s (US). The origin of the "parties" was that first-time chickenpox was perceived to be less harmful in children than adults prior to the vaccine, so you wanted to make sure people's first exposure wasn't in adulthood.
- paleotrope 11mo agoIs getting chickenpox the first as an adult more dangerous than as a kid not true or unproven?
- mlyle 11mo agoIt's true -- you'll have a worse time on average and a higher chance of severe side effects. If you had an overwhelming chance of getting chicken pox, getting it in early school age reasonably seemed to be the best option.
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- emmelaich 11mo agoMuch worse. A friend died at around 35. I didn't see him at the end but he was apparently covered in pox.
- CrossVR 11mo agoUnfortunately that is not the case for me in the Netherlands. No Chickenpox vaccination is offered and making sure kids get it early is still considered the right way to do immunization. The idea being that it's better for people to get it as kids, because if you give them vaccines as kids you'll have to give them boosters as adults. Whereas a latent disease will provide a lifetime of immunity.
- yread 11mo agoIt's not offered but you can still get it. I had to literally ask my huisarts (GP) to google it after he said there is no such thing. Luckily, he did and local hospital pharmacy had it in stock.
- tzs 11mo ago> The idea being that it's better for people to get it as kids, because if you give them vaccines as kids you'll have to give them boosters as adults. Whereas a latent disease will provide a lifetime of immunity. Adults vaccinated against chickenpox do not need boosters as adults.
- emmelaich 11mo ago... immunity from chickenpox, but shingles can erupt. Also, how 'latent' is the virus, really?
- benrapscallion 11mo agoThe virus lies dormant in spinal and cranial ganglia for decades. If it reactivates, the immune system suppresses it, in the meantime. Past age 50-60, immunity wanes and these reactivations cannot be suppressed which allows the virus to travel back to the corresponding skin region as the spine segment to cause shingles. Presumably, after this the virus can also cross the blood brain barrier to cause neurodegeneration.