Thursday, November 10, 2011

Will I get the chicken pox?

If you got the vaccine you should not get chicken pox. People who are unvaccinated could get chicken pox from someone with shingles, so this is why immunosuppressed people, or children who aren't yet vaccinated, should avoid contact with him. By contact I mean actually touching the open shingles lesions/sores or touching clothing, sheets, dressings, etc, that have had contact with the fluid. You can't get chicken pox from shingles without direct contact (although you CAN get chicken pox from someone with chicken pox via coughing/sneezing/airborne) Sometimes people who have been vaccinated do get chicken pox still, but the vaccine makes it a much less severe case -- fewer bumps and faster healing -- you're generally less sick with it. The bumps are little fluid filled blisters, and as long as you can contain the urge to scratch (they are DARN ITCHY) they shouldn't scar seriously. Those with severe scars (which are generally permanent but fade over time to where they're barely noticeable) are usually people who scratched the blisters open leaving sores. Usually within a week the blisters rupture and/or crust over (like scabs) and you should not pick the scabs (again, scarring) but leave them until they fall off on their own. I know, hard to do especially with itching ... but honestly with having had the vaccine you should not worry too much. You will either not get it at all (my guess ...) or have a very mild case.

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