[audreysmom]

My daughter was vaccinated at 12 months, but has what looks like chicken pox. I called my mother to come over and look at it & she agrees that that's what it looks like. My son (who is 13 months) just received his chicken pox vaccine last Wednesday & I think somehow my daughter got it from that. (They told me at that time that the vaccine did contain live viruses and that there was a "remote" chance it could be contagious to others.) I will call the pediatrician first thing in the morning.

Should I give her benadryl? My mom said she used calamine lotion back when I had it. Anyone gone through this or have any advice?

Thanks!!

*Editing to add that Audrey is 3 1/2 and was due to get her chicken pox booster at her 4 year old pediatrician appointment

[sak9645]

The first chickenpox shot is not completely effective at preventing a child from catching chickenpox. A second shot is required when a child is older.

My daughter has a friend who got chickenpox a couple of years after getting her first shot. The doctor said it happens, but the child will usually get a much milder version of the disease than an unvaccinated child would. That seemed to be true for my daughter's friend, who really had only one uncomfortable day and relatively few pox.

There's not much you can do when a child has a standard case of chickenpox except to make him/her as comfortable as possible. Tylenol or Motrin will help if there is fever and malaise. Itching can be relieved by baths with colloidal oatmeal, baking soda, or cornstarch in the water, as well as by antihistamines and soothing lotions like Calamine.

If there are sores in the mouth, a bland diet will help. Trimming fingernails and keeping hands clean will help to reduce scratching that can lead to a secondary bacterial infection. And getting plenty of rest will help a child feel better and fight infection.

Now, if a child has a compromised immune system or other risk factors, a doctor should be consulted about treatment with antivirals. And some children are at risk of pneumonia, encephalitis, eye problems, etc. But these are not generally an issue in healthy kids who have had their first shots.

As to whether your older child got chickenpox because of exposure to your younger child, who was just vaccinated, I don't know. But it really doesn't matter how your child got chickenpox. Once a child has it, you have to keep him/her comfortable, and once a child has it, he/she won't get it again (though shingles is a possibility in later life).

Sharon

[avoel]

A recently vaccinated child would only be contagious if they develop any blisters after vaccination.

One chicken pox vaccine is approximately 85% effective at preventing the disease entirely, hence the newer recommendation for a second dose. The incubation period for chickenpox is 7-21 days so your daughter could have been exposed anytime in the past 3 weeks.

There are a lot of rashes that mimic chickenpox as well...as a pediatrician I see a lot of suspected chickenpox that isn't. Chickenpox has a tearshaped yellow blister on a red base (teardrop on a rosepetal) that is easily ruptured and scabs over. The blisters are never all uniform...they emerge at different rates so you will have some fresh ones while others are crusting over. They itch intensely but should not hurt. There is almost always fever in the first day or two as well. Many people will rule out chicken pox if there is no fever in immunocompetent children.

If in doubt, best to call the pediatrician, because a reliable, documented history of confirmed disease is needed in order to forego the requirement for the second dose of vaccine.

[audreysmom]

Sharon - thank you so much - such good info. Thanks for reminding me to trim her nails!

Hubby just got back from Rite Aid and we put Calamine. Hopefully that will help with the itching.

[MamaS]

I went through chicken pox with Sassy and Sissy just before the vaccine came on the market. I used a collodiul oatmeal bath and benedryl. No problems with Sassy but immediately after the pox cleared Sissy developed thrombocytopenia which is a potentially fatal reaction to the virus in her body. She spent four days in the hospital and had to have platelet transfusions. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it is not that uncommon. Good luck keeping her from scratching!