Chickenpox

Isn't it complicated. My DD, who had chicken pox as an infant, got shingles aged 9. We were so surprised as we thought it was only for the elderly.

I don't think I have had either but perhaps I did as I didn't catch cp from any of my DC or DGC.

I had a shingles jag recently.

I would probably risk it if I were you, given that your DGS wants to see you and probably isn't very poorly. Up to you!

You can't catch shingles from someone who has shingles or chickenpox, but you can get chickenpox from someone with shingles if you haven't had chickenpox before.

Two things here. Chickenpox can make children pretty miserable and isn't always a trivial thing. My DD had to be admitted to hospital when she had it. So bear in mind a poorly child may want to stay home, or not be up to doing much when they visit.

Second, the herpes family of viruses can do odd things. The chickenpox (varicella) virus does remain in minute traces in the nervous tissues to later re-appear as a form of herpes zoster or shingles. Shingles is a nasty illness which can cause severe nerve pain, as it attacks the tissues around certain nerves. This is why it only affects certain parts of the body, and not others.
Shingles is so painful and debilitiating that a vaccine is now recommended for anyone over 70, as we become more vulnerable to it as we age.
It is very important then that people who are immuno-compromised, or on high dose cortico-steroids, should keep away from any one who has chicken-pox.

If you have had chicken pox you are at risk of getting shingles from your GS. I have never had shingles but I know if can be very painful . I do not normally worry about stuff like this but in this case I would be concerned and I would stay away.

My oldest grandson had chickenpox when he was quite small and it was just an itchy nuisance. Several years later he caught it again and was really ill and very miserable.

I'm a self employed cleaner and there are quite a few cases of chicken pox in our village at the moment. Pharmacist told me if I come into contact with a child with chicken pox, even though I had it as a child, I can pass shingles virus onto my elderly vulnerable customers. So I'm sensibly not working in homes where children have chicken pox.
Maybe best to ask your GP or local Pharmacist

Llamas99

I had chicken pox at 18 and it was very bad with strange side effects. Very different to young children's cases.

My husband had this in his early 30s. I couldn't believe how ill he was. It can be quite catastrophic in adults. He actually ended up in hospital for a few days

PS, my dd paid to have all her 3 vaccinated, though I gather it’s going to be available on the NHS soon.

Llamas99

I had chicken pox at 18 and it was very bad with strange side effects. Very different to young children's cases.

AFAIK shingles in adults is caused by reactivation of the virus still lurking in the body from when you had chickenpox many years or decades earlier.

In my case, I’m sure the trigger was down to being exhausted and generally run down. I was lucky that it wasn’t a very severe case, though.

My nephew who is 9 is just getting over his third dose, unfortunately worse than the first two. He’s been quite poorly.

Our GS has recently had chicken pox and my GP advised no risk to DH or myself if we had chicken pox in the past. We would not catch it. We cared for him and were fine.

Om your situation I would err on the side of caution and stay away.
Yes will disrupt plans - so what ?

We had chicken pox as children and my children had it in childhood too. I have looked after all grandchildren with chicken pox at different times. I was fine.

Llamas99

I had chicken pox at 18 and it was very bad with strange side effects. Very different to young children's cases.

My cousin was an infant teacher and she caught it and was very ill. She was off work for a few months.

I had chicken pox at 18 and it was very bad with strange side effects. Very different to young children's cases.

I don't think you can catch shingles from chickenpox. Shingles usually appears in people who have had chickenpox.
It would be unlikely for you to catch chickenpox if you have already had it.
I have looked after children and grandchildren who have had chickenpox and have not been affected as I had the illness when I was a child

You are either immune or not. As I understand it if you’ve got the herpes virus in you it can flare up again as shingles.
I know that with gratitude I am immune due to occupational health checks when I was working. It meant I was free to help treat those without fear of being infected.

I wouldn't hesitate to come in contact with GC with chickenpox. In fact, one reason health services gave for not vaccinating children against chickenpox was that adults would come in contact with them and it might boost their immunity to shingles - rather like getting shingles vaccine!

The evidence doesn't really support this, but risk to adults is almost zero, unlike other childhood illnesses like respiratory viruses and vomiting bug which our grandchildren always pass on to me!

Thank you for your responses (I shall think of it as chockenbox now Labradora). I’ve not had the shingles vaccinations yet either (also late sixties) but interweb suggests you don’t catch it from coming into contact with chickenpox.
The other grandmother has a much more easygoing attitude to infections (which we saw during Covid) and is continuing to visit (other grandson came down with it first). We tend to get scoffed at for being overly cautious, which doesn’t really help!

I had shingles, my OH is on mid seventies so he got the jabs but I don’t yet qualify in my late sixties. Was a really horrible illness, the blisters were so painful I found it difficult to sleep, and I got residual pain afterwards.

Grandmabatty

You can get chicken pox more than once.

True but is very rare as usually immunity is built up after one bout. The trouble is that varicella zoster can cause herpes zoster or shingles and having had chickenpox does not offer immunity to shingles. Even if you have had the shingles vaccination there is no guarantee of complete immunity.

I've had my first of two Shingrix(anti-shingles) injections just in case.
Not sure whether I've ever had (chockenbox??🤣🤣) I mean Chickenpox but as I understand Shingles can be deeply horrible I'm not taking any chances.
I think "chockenbox" belonged to my last post about Maltesers.

Your call, but am surprised your DD is happy to let you both stay when chickenpox is such a contagious illness, would perhaps ask for your GPs or practice nurse’s advice on this. Would be a shame to spoil your DDs birthday but if one of you gets ill it could be nasty. And birthday plans can hopefully be postponed.

We have had GC here when they have had chicken pox, maybe we were just fortunate not to get infected.

Chicken pox is contagious approx 10-14 days before the spots are visible, once the spots crust over they are allowed back in school as no longer transferable.

You can get chicken pox more than once.