Vaccinations for infectious diseases (measles, chickenpox, etc.)

Hey there,

I’m 26 and I still haven't had chickenpox.
Over the last week, I’ve heard warnings in two different places about a chickenpox outbreak, specifically mentioning that travelers heading to Austria for the Euro games are at a higher risk. They're making it pretty clear that getting vaccinated would be a smart move.

So, where can I actually get this done? A few years back, I brought this up with my doctor, and she basically laughed me out of the office.

Thanks

Anyone got anything to say about this?

wearyraven41 said:http://www.nytimes.com/newsroom/topic/economy/index.do

Anyone got thoughts on this?

Did you even bother reading the actual article you linked?

Chickenpox isn't measles, it's a completely different beast...
Measles is part of the standard vaccination schedule, and honestly, you probably already had your shot against it too.
The chickenpox vaccine hasn't been on the market nearly as long, and if you haven't caught it yet, you might want to consider getting vaccinated... because while it's usually nothing for kids, it can cause some pretty nasty complications for adults.
But anyway, chickenpox has absolutely nothing to do with measles or that outbreak happening over in Switzerland.

Look, before you jump to any conclusions, go get some blood work done first. It’s entirely possible you had chickenpox as a kid without ever noticing a single rash or breakout. If the tests show you haven't actually built up immunity, then yeah, maybe look into getting vaccinated. But just a fair warning—those shots can come with quite a few side effects.

If they managed to get through it without showing any actual skin symptoms, there's a chance they didn't actually develop any immunity to them.
I dealt with it twice myself. The first time was pretty mild, but the second bout? Absolutely brutal. My doctor told me the reason it hit me so hard the second time was because I hadn't built up any real immunity during that first encounter.

I would appreciate an explanation from those who actually have some formal training in this field.

My child was born in 2002 and received their initial measles vaccination via Priorix, though subsequent boosters were administered using the standard or older Mopari formulations. I find myself wondering about the efficacy of such a combination—specifically, is it necessary to run a titer test to confirm immunity?

The rationale behind this specific sequence stems from the timing of the Ativax campaign; I consulted several professionals who suggested that while Priorix might offer slightly lower protection levels, the risk of adverse side effects is significantly reduced and much milder. When it came time for the booster, I opted for the standard, federally provided vaccine because I am quite certain of my child's constitution; they are exceptionally resilient against illnesses and vaccines alike—robust, sturdy, and remarkably healthy...

The combo works pretty damn well, if you ask me 👍

I appreciate the response you provided. 🙂

We should probably fix the thread title. We don't want people walking in here thinking measles and chickenpox are the same thing.
Measles is measles; chickenpox is its own beast entirely.

In American English, "measles" is often used interchangeably with rubeola, but we also have to deal with rubella—which is far more notorious for being dangerous to pregnant women. I can't quite remember if the term "rubeola" is even still in common usage over here anymore... or maybe it is?

"There are two 'forms' of measles: rubeola (the 'ordinary' kind), which causes more serious symptoms and can do permanent damage, and rubella ('German' measles), which is very benign if you have it as a child or an adult but can induce severe birth defects in women infected early in pregnancy."

Check this out: http://www.drreddy.com/shots/measles.html

I'm wondering if getting vaccinated against smallpox actually provides any protection against Herpes Zoster.

I had a booster shot recently, but based on the external symptoms, it looks like neither one actually "took."

(I've already had chickenpox)

Betty Foster97 said:I was wondering, does getting vaccinated against smallpox actually provide any protection against Herpes Zoster?

I mean, I had a booster shot recently, but honestly, looking at the physical signs, it doesn't feel like anything actually "took."

(Plus, I've already dealt with chickenpox)

See, you're talking about two completely different viruses here.
The Orthopoxvridae family—that's smallpox—basically works by introducing a version of the vaccine virus into your system to create a sort of cross-immunity, though it’s definitely not some harmless little thing and is usually only administered when there's a serious medical reason for it.

But if you've already had chickenpox, then Uncle Herpes Zoster is basically just sitting there inside you, waiting for the right moment to flare back up when your system is down.

I didn't quite catch what you were actually vaccinated against, though? 🤔

velvetmoose9 said:We’re talking about two entirely different viruses here.
The Orthopoxviridae family—specifically smallpox—is what those vaccines target. Essentially, you're injecting a version of the virus to build cross-immunity, though the vaccine itself isn't exactly harmless and is typically reserved for high-risk scenarios.

On the other hand, if you've already had chickenpox, then Herpes Zoster is just sitting there in your system, waiting for the right moment to reactivate.

I'm a little lost, what exactly were you vaccinated against? 🤔

smallpox, which, frankly, is totally unnecessary

I’m not trying to be a total alarmist here, but if some lunatic actually decides to go rogue with biological weapons, you’re honestly on pretty solid ground 😁

velvetmoose9 said:I’m not being dramatic, but if some lunatic actually decides to go after us with biological weapons, you’re sitting on pretty solid ground 😁

😁

Since they’ve already gone and repeated it three times, I might just volunteer for the front lines to act as a shield 😁

Betty Foster97 said:😁

Since they've gone and repeated it three more times now, I might just head up to the front lines to act as some kind of shield 😁

Live Wall 🤣🤣

and we probably won't see the full fallout for another 50 years or so😁

I was getting some blood work done to investigate systemic lupus, specifically looking into my connective tissue markers.
Born in '68, I honestly have no idea what vaccines I ever received. My immunization records were never kept in one place; they moved from elementary school clinics to college health centers, then to family doctors... my official medical history just seems to have vanished into thin air.
However, my serology shows positive IgG antibodies for chickenpox (Varicella) and rubella. Since I actually caught both of those illnesses, it makes sense that the antibodies are present.
I vaguely remember them offering rubella shots back in middle school... I think I was in 7th grade. I had just returned to school after having the flu, so they skipped me that day.
For years afterward, my parents would ask doctors about getting me vaccinated during my routine checkups... but with all the chaos of annual physicals, it eventually just slipped through the cracks, and I ended up catching rubella.

On the other hand... I don't show any antibodies for mumps or measles.
Which implies I never received those specific shots...
Back then, it seemed like only the girls were being prioritized for certain vaccinations...
But for everything else included in the standard American immunization schedule at the time, I was fully covered.

I assume most people my age haven't even thought to run these types of tests, though some might still have their old records tucked away somewhere. I'm curious—for those who do know, what does your vaccination history actually show?