Shingles, Chickenpox and Vaccines

Shingles, Chickenpox and Vaccines

            Chickenpox use to be a childhood disease, and then they decided to create a vaccine to avoid the children from getting the chickenpox. Some said they had a good reason to create the vaccine, many believe their were alternative motives, such as money making, parents could not afford to stay home with their kids while they were sick; whatever the case, it lead to another problem. Shingles! Shingles is a disease that comes from the Herpes Zoster virus, which is the virus that gives us chickenpox, while one would reason that it is a great idea to give the vaccine, the fact is, whether you get the chickenpox, or the vaccine, you are now open to getting shingles when you get older.

            As the case may be, those of us here in the United States who were born in during the 1960’s and 1970’s had the chickenpox, so we are doomed to get shingles; while the kids born in the late 1980’s and 1990’s received the vaccination, so they too are doomed.
Then there are the few who were never vaccinated and did not get the chickenpox as a child, a natural immunity perhaps? They have reasons to be concerned too! If you never had the chickenpox and come in contact with someone with Shingles, you are at risk of getting the chickenpox, which now opens the door to shingles in the future. Now this is very is a very possible scenario, since so many millions of us either had the chickenpox or were vaccinated against the chickenpox.

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            While chickenpox had its “cons”, the little white pimples, the fever and chills; so does shingles with the painful blisters, the skin pain that occurs from damaged nerve ending along with fever and chills, what is the proper way to go about dealing with this. Honestly I don’t think there is an answer, even though doctors will tell you to contact them immediately so that they can begin treatments, while other doctors say you can get a vaccination against shingles. Now be aware of the FACT that while the vaccination does not eliminate your chances of getting shingles, it only reduces the pain and discomfort that many suffer during the illness.

            So if it does not eliminate your chances of getting shingles, why would one get vaccinated, that is purely a personal decision. There are people who should consider the vaccination if their doctor or primary care provider feel they should, such as in cases of those with HIV/AIDS, or those who are being treated with chemotherapy for cancer, or active tuberculosis.

            There is no clear answer to this medical situation, since we learn new things everyday, we must keep in mind that medicine and medical science, is just that the study of medicine.