As recently as 2000, chicken pox was not considered the plague, as evidenced by this Mattel doll. Children were not routinely vaccinated against the disease, instead they caught it as tots and then kissed it goodbye. Moms, and little girls playing Mommy, helped make the chicken pox disappear.
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In our household, my husband had not had childhood chickenpox either. He actually contracted it in 1995 at the age of 32 and, surprisingly, neither of my daughters (2 & 5) caught it at that time. Later, we purposely exposed the girls so they would develop natural immunity. I'm so glad we did . . . felt a little guilty when they were sick. But, haven't regretted it at all.
Posted by: elaine hickey | June 25, 2011 at 09:30 PM
I'd love for my kids to get chicken pox naturally, but my husband claims he never had it as a child. His younger sister got it, but he never did. I wonder if he just had a very light case. And then I wonder how it would affect my almost 10 year old with autism, who had the vaccine (never had a second shot so I don't know how his "immunity" (Ha!) is to this.
I also think the lack of frequent exposure to chicken pox leads to shingles in adults. Their immune systems forget what chicken pox is, since they aren't exposed often the way they were before the vaccine and now it causes the more painful shingles instead.
I worry I'd go through the trouble to find chicken pox to expose my younger kids, hubby would end up with chicken pox, I'd get shingles, and my ASD son would have some other weird reaction! My mother never had these worries. Just tried to keep her three kids from scratching too much so they wouldn't get a few scars.
Posted by: Laura Sauls | June 17, 2011 at 01:19 PM
I'm not saying I'm in favor of vaxes, as I have stopped all vaxes for my son who has autism; however, chix pox is not always benign. I have a distant relative who as a child in the 1980s died from it. It can mutate to a dangerous form where the pox form inside the body rather than externally. Rare, yes, but notable that chix pox is not always to be taken lightly.
Posted by: Susan | June 17, 2011 at 01:13 PM
Best to pick up the chickenpox naturally.The kids will not
get any adjuvants and other toxic ingredients(which increase
stress on their immune system by bio-accumulating toxic ingredients)and they still produce antibodies to protect themselves for the future. Way to go AussieMom,I think these
chikenpox parties are wonderful and safe alternatives.The
only problem big pharma is not making money if we figure out
that natural imunization is a safe and effective option.But who cares?
Yes,another useless vaccine,just like gardasil.They are working hard to get a vaccine for every illness.The question is
can our immune system handle it? Auto-immune disorders are on the rise.
Posted by: oneVoice | June 17, 2011 at 08:22 AM
Australia,
Mums all over Australia would have chickenpox parties (especially in the late 70's and early 80's) for their children, so they could naturally contract the virus.
My daughter had her chickenpox vaccine and ended up contracting it from her brother who contracted them naturally (he was never vaccinated against chickenpox). He recovered within three days, however she suffered for over two weeks ?!
Elizabeth-AussieMum
Posted by: AussieMum | June 17, 2011 at 12:19 AM
Sinovac is going into phase II on a hand, foot, and mouth vaccine. The moment this vaccine is ready for market, we will suddenly have another "deadly" childhood disease.
Posted by: Steve | June 16, 2011 at 11:11 PM
I had chicken pox as did my NINE siblings. We all survived. No need to vax this...
Posted by: Ellie | June 16, 2011 at 08:35 PM
Someone mentioned how contagious chicken pox is...we recently had many people over for multiple chicken pox parties - not one other child caught it from my 2 kids, even after sharing food and drink and tshirts.
Posted by: Anne S | June 16, 2011 at 08:32 PM
Diane -
The incubation period (per an old Family Medical and Health Guide that I have) says "10 to 20 days after exposure - two weeks on the average" before you see symptoms. To reduce itching, it says you can use calamine lotion. I don't know any other remedies.
By the way, that same reference book - although it bemoans the lack of a "reliable vaccine" also states: "Your child will probably get it sooner or later; but if he is otherwise in good health, getting the illness may be actually beneficial in the long run. The disease is often far more serious in adults than in children, and an attack in childhood confers lifelong immunity." The copyright on the book is 1976.
Posted by: Carolyn M | June 16, 2011 at 07:47 PM
Diane, I do know that chicken pox virus is quite contagious and is up until they scab. Both my kids had them and were itchy but fine. Colloidal oatmeal baths are soothing and an oral antihistamine helps with the itch. Good luck.
Posted by: Jen | June 16, 2011 at 07:31 PM
So where was the black box warning about how "dangerous" chicken pox was... whew, good thing 2001 (or 2002) was when Merck started their ridiculous rubber ducky scare tactic campaign about CP & saved us all w/their CP vax. (YES, sarcasm & major eye rolling @@).
Posted by: E | June 16, 2011 at 06:21 PM
Speaking of chicken pox ... my dh just diagnosed with shingles - said could spread to chicken pox to my kids (now 10) - stopped vaccinations at 3 - never got chicken pox one - anyone know incubation period and what to take holisticially to lessen impact of chicken pox if they do get it?
Posted by: Diane | June 16, 2011 at 05:52 PM
Yes. Autism Barbie wouldn't drive the corvette, she would just spin it's wheels for hours at a time. And she wouldn't even NOTICE Ken! Be careful kids, this Barbie tends to wander and has a strong attraction to water!
Posted by: Kristin B | June 16, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Autism barbie - I have a couple of comments for that but I'll refrain...I have a couple key accessories in mind.
Posted by: Cathy | June 16, 2011 at 11:22 AM
In a recent exchange of letters; from the head of pediatrics at a teaching hospital and me.
He says that he has been doctoring in my area for 30 years, and he has seen "lots" of extreme cases of encephalilties, meningitis, and complications of chicken pox.
My return letter basically said;
What a coincidence 30 years is also the time period that I too have been engaged in the care of auto-immune diseases, including autism.
And by the way;
I too had complications from chicken pox and I was in the hospital for a week. I still have the scars 40 years later. For some reason, I did not get chicken pox untill I as 12 years old. I was delighted when my daughter contracted it at 6 years old and brought it home to her very young brother. They barely raised a fever or a blister. Regardless, even as sick as I was I did live with no more than a couple of scars (although covered solid with blisters at the time). Not only did I live, I married, taught school, went to college and received a BS and a MS, and I had kids.
Compare that to autism, bipolar, mitrochondrial cytopathy, pick any auto- immune disease and compare complications of chicken pox to that.
Posted by: Benedetta | June 16, 2011 at 09:49 AM
The Chicken Pox vaccine was developed for 1. money and 2. so parents don't have to miss work while kids are sick.
Posted by: Lila White | June 16, 2011 at 09:47 AM
Do we have a barbie doll with autism yet? A real money maker, i bet.
Posted by: Maurine Meleck | June 16, 2011 at 08:55 AM