Around that same time, some neighbor friends of ours couldn't come out to play because they were sick, but my brother and I were more than welcome to play at their house. We hardly ever played in our friends' houses, we mainly all ran around the neighborhood outside.
Later, in hindsight, I realized. Friends' mom maybe talked to our mom. Said something like, "Mutt and Jeff have chickenpox, send your kids over to get it while it's hot!", because that's how kids became inoculated against chickenpox when I was a kid. Get it, and get it over with.
However, despite the best efforts of my second grade epidemic and friends' house quarantine exposure, I never got chickenpox, nor did my brothers. Both brothers ended up getting chickenpox as adults, and according to them, it was horrible. When the varicella vaccine came out about 25 years ago, they both told me to "be all over that!"
So I was. My doctor's office at the time wasn't even sure what to do. They treated adults and didn't keep chickenpox shots around. They had to special order the vaccine, have it shipped all temperature-controlled blah blah. Twice.
"How did you not have chickenpox as a kid?", my doctor asked, maybe thinking I'd grown up in some sort of reclusive cult or something. I told her about the second grade epidemic, about the neighbor friends' house quarantine. Nothing happened, I don't know why. I never got any of those "childhood diseases".
When I was in college, I vaguely remember an alert going out about measles cases on campus, encouraging students to stop by the health center for a measles shot. Apparently, measles is even worse on adults than chickenpox is, and my brothers' "be all over that!" echoed in my brain.
How did we even get alerts like that back then?? This was in the late 80's before the internet and email. Geez, I'm old. Whatever, I heard about measles on campus, so I went in for a vaccine.
I think.
See, I remember the alert. I remember thinking I didn't want measles. I remember going to the university health center for other services [A-gynecologist-CHOO]. But did I get that measles shot? I never thought to keep a shot record for myself, and apparently my brain isn't such a good storage device.
I asked Magnum if he thought we should get measles boosters. He said he had the measles as a kid. PFFFT, lucky him.
Me, I'd rather not be a Marcia.
Have you had the measles? Chickenpox? Been vaccinated? Any advice for a former reclusive cult child?
9 comments:
I'm a few years older than you are (I was in second grade in 1963-64) and you're correct: we built up the immunity by getting the disease and getting over it. I had chicken pox when I was about 3, and gave them to my Dad. He was miserable. Likewise, I had the measles during the summer between kindergarten and first grade. Screwed my summer up, lemme tell ya...
There were always some kids that somehow built immunity to diseases without actually getting them. Just lucky, I guess.
I don't have any record either - but I think I had them - in fact I know I did because I had the shingles 5 years ago. You can't get that without the other.
Get vaccinated if you can. For as much as you can - that is what I believe.
I was born in 53 - we were given polio vaccines at school on sugar cubes.
For small pox vaccine - needles as big as a gun - we stood in line for hours to get.
I don't think they can hurt you - but when you get something as an adult it is worse.
I had chicken pots twice as a kid, the first time I apparently had one spot, they next time I was covered. But I still managed to get Shingles as an adult. I did have the Measles jab. Now of course all kids have the MMR injection for Measles, Mumps and Rubella.
I've had chicken pox, measles,etc. I certainly had all my vaccinations and went to school and got the cooties from other kids and brought them home to my little sister.
Even having had chicken pox the "chicken pox virus" will lay dormant and later in life come out to you as shingles. Fun huh?
Shingles is the single most painful thing on earth I hear.
I know grown men who will do anything over getting shingles again. My mom had shingles as well as Rick. I have gotten the vaccine so hope I don't. I still can, but they say a lesser strain. All I know is I don't want shingles and since I had chicken pox I am quite likely to get it.
John, I was hopeful that I was somehow immune until my adult brothers got chickenpox. Maybe we're just late bloomers?
Chatty, I think I was one of the last to get the smallpox vaccine. I definitely remember the big gun. Wear your scar proudly, Sandie!
Joey, I've heard shingles is pretty awful. MMR is available for all kids, but there is an anti-vax movement in the U.S. Not in the UK?
Peggy, I've heard shingles is quite painful. Here's hoping neither of us gets it.
Had the "playdate" with some infected friends & acquired chicken pox between 1st & 2nd grade (mid 60's). Never got the measles until the summer between 10th & 11th grade. Twice. Years later I was in college (after the Army, junior college and a few years of work) and found out the MMR vaccine was mandatory for me to continue. Had to get it because I had no proof of having had the measles already. No big deal, I ought to be super protected against them now.
Still no shingles @ 60 (knocking on wood as I type this), so maybe I've dodged that bullet. I hope so - colleague at work had a mild case and he didn't like it one bit.
Brian, sounds like you've had every form of measles available.
I don’t remember how I got the chicken pox, but I was one of those moms who sent her kids on a play date with other infected kids to “get it while it’s hot.” The vaccine was just coming out at that time, and although they had been vaccinated for all the other diseases, I felt better about them getting the real thing rather than the shot.
Mario was one of those kids, and she had shingles when she was 16. It’s possible she could get them again as well. Maybe she should consider vaccinating now.
Anyway, I think if I were you, I would get the shot. (I can say that to you, but I have no desire to get the small pox shot that I never received as a kid. So maybe not the best person to give advice) 🙃
SR300, ouch, I didn't know shingles could affect someone so young.
I think I'll ask for a measles shot at my next well check.
As for the smallpox gun, I remember a gymnasium full of crying children and asking, "Mom, what fresh hell is this?!" But I got a donut after, so all in all, a good day.
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