CINDI

[Guest guest]

Cindi, As long as you have had Chickenpox, you are not at risk to

get them again, usually. Once exposed, the virus that causes it

lays dorment in the nervous system and could reoccure in adults as

Shingles (herpes zoster). Below are a few articles from WebMD. I

personally would be cautious because of our weak immune systems

caused be the meds....Marina

(from WebMD)

You are at risk for chickenpox if you have not had chickenpox or the

vaccine and you:

Live with someone who has chickenpox.

Work or play indoors for more than 1 hour with someone who has

chickenpox.

Are in the hospital and share a room with someone who later develops

chickenpox or are cared for by a staff member who later develops

chickenpox.

Have an impaired immune system.

Your risk of getting chickenpox is especially high if you are

exposed to a household member with chickenpox because of the close

contact. In addition, you may develop a more severe case than the

person who infected you. Chickenpox is most contagious from 1 to 2

days before the rash appears until the blisters have dried and

formed crusts.

If you get a chickenpox vaccination, you are contagious only if you

develop blisters. You remain contagious as long as new spots

continue to develop and until all blisters have crusted over.

Some people also are at increased risk of developing complications

from chickenpox, such as newborns, teenagers, adults—especially

pregnant women—and those with impaired immune systems.

Once you have had chickenpox, you become immune to the virus. It is

possible that you may have a slight reaction after re-exposure, such

as a few spots and slight fever. However, you will not get a full-

blown case of chickenpox more than once.

(from WEbMD)

As early as 1909 a German scientist suspected that the viruses

causing chickenpox and shingles were one and the same. In the 1920's

and 1930's the case was strengthened. In an experiment, children

were inoculated with fluid from the lesions of patients with

shingles. Within 2 weeks about half the children came down with

chickenpox. Finally in 1958 detailed analyses of the viruses taken

from patients with either chickenpox or shingles confirmed that the

viruses were identical.

This study also proved that a person with shingles can pass the

virus to individuals who have never had chickenpox, but these

individuals will develop chickenpox not shingles. A person with

chickenpox cannot communicate shingles to someone else. In order for

people to develop shingles they must already harbor the virus in

their nervous system, and for those who do harbor the virus, having

contact with someone with chickenpox will not trigger shingles.

Additionally, a person with shingles cannot communicate shingles to

another individual.

Reviewed by , MD, December 2003.