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Which childhood illnesses have you had?

mayerling

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While talking to the doctor about trying to conceive, she mentioned having to check my blood to make sure the rubella antibodies I got from the MMR vaccine in infancy are still adequate to fight off the virus should I be exposed to it during pregnancy.

That got me thinking that, out of all the childhood illnesses, I've only had chicken-pox - possibly because of the MMR. FH has only had chicken-pox too. How about you? Mumps, measles, rubella, anyone?
 

lyra

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I definitely had measles, my generation had mumps, measles and everything else that has a vaccine nowadays. Even though I actually did have measles and not the vaccine, when I first conceived, my doc said my antibody levels were too low, which was distressing to hear the time.
 

kiett98

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Just chicken pox (in the third grade) for me...

(I remember the grade I was in because we were taking a spelling test and I threw up all over the test... and I did have to retake it when I returned to school a week later.)
 

maplefemme

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Mumps, measles, but not chickenpox, which is always a concern when I'm hands on with patients with active shingles :(sad
 

amc80

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mayerling|1311786767|2978078 said:
While talking to the doctor about trying to conceive, she mentioned having to check my blood to make sure the rubella antibodies I got from the MMR vaccine in infancy are still adequate to fight off the virus should I be exposed to it during pregnancy.

That got me thinking that, out of all the childhood illnesses, I've only had chicken-pox - possibly because of the MMR. FH has only had chicken-pox too. How about you? Mumps, measles, rubella, anyone?

I just had a discussion about this with my doctor. I was tested about 5 years ago when I got a job for a hospital (even though I was a financial analyst and didn't work on site), and my immunities were all fine. She said if I was fine 5 years ago I am fine now. She also said most people who properly went through the vaccination series as a kid shouldn't have any issues, since MMR is a once in a lifetime series.

I've only had chicken pox, and I think that's probably true for anyone born after the MMR shots became mandatory. Kids these days even get the chicken pox vaccine.
 

TooPatient

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Just chicken pox. Had vaccines for all the others.

My younger brother had shingles. I thought he had chicken pox at one point, but now I don't really remember. Shingles looked awful. He seemed to be in more pain/discomfort than I was when I had chicken pox.
 

centralsquare

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Just chicken pox (thank goodness!). Seems interesting that there is now a vaccine for that!
 

basil

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maplefemme|1311787641|2978097 said:
Mumps, measles, but not chickenpox, which is always a concern when I'm hands on with patients with active shingles :(sad

You could ask your doctor to do a titer to make sure you really haven't had it - a lot of people who think they didn't have chickenpox just had a mild case. If you are really not immune, I think you'd be eligible for the vaccine? Chickenpox in an adult can be quite severe.
 

Haven

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I had chicken pox and scarlet fever. I don't think scarlet fever was as serious as it once was when I had it, but I remember all of the older adults in my family acting like I was going to die when they found out. It just felt like strep throat with a rash, to be honest. Do kids even get that anymore?
 

violet3

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chicken pox and measles - i'm the only person I knew in my age group to have had the measles (born mid 70s).
 

Imdanny

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Cooties? :errrr:
 

DivaDiamond007

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I was vaccinated for MMR, but the chickenpox vax didn't exist when I was growing up and I've never had it.
 

megumic

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Chicken Pox only.
 
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Chicken Pox, appendicitis (it exploded.. had it removed over xmas break! lol), and whooping cough which was terrible. I am curious if I have bad lungs now because I had it so terribly as a kid.
 

texaskj

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Just chickenpox, but I had enough for three kids. In my ears, down my throat, two weeks of complete misery.
 

Pandora II

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Mumps, rubella (which is often called Geman Measles in the UK), chicken pox.

Btw, they don't vaccinate children against chicken pox in the UK. I paid for my daughter to be immunised privately - she's protected against shingles as well that way. Plus even chicken pox can be very nasty, also it's a week off work at least, you can't go on a plane within 2 weeks and my niece was left with bad facial scarring as a result of what was a fairly mild case. I thought £60 was a cheap alternative!

You may also find that you are offered the BCG against tuberculosis since you live in London. There are big recurrences of antibiotic resistant TB in London at the moment and so in certain areas they are vaccinating at birth. Daisy was vaccinated at 6 months. I know they don't vaccinate in the USA so just to give you a heads up.
 

merilenda

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Only chickenpox for me as well, but I don't remember it. I think I had it when I was 2 or 3. Caught it at preschool.
 

LGK

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Huh I had no idea there as a chicken pox vaccine now. Boy I wish they had it back then. I had it really bad, at like 13 or so. I'm very lucky I don't scar easily or badly, because I had them all over my face and I know I itched them pretty thoroughly. I think I missed nearly two weeks of school or more. Somehow I only ended up with one pock mark though, erm, somewhere unmentionable that is invisble unless I get pretty crazy with the razor or wax!

I can't imagine how bad chicken pox would be as an adult. :errrr: It was bad enough as a teenager.
 

wildcat03

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Had chicken pox. Was vaccinated against MMR, and Diphtheria/Pertussis. I also had the Hepatitis A vaccine, because I traveled to Zambia when I was 21. I got a 2nd dose of it 6 months after the first, so now I actually should be lifetime immune.

Just a note, those TTC should also make sure their pertussis is updated. Pertussis is really bad for babies, and for many men and women of child-bearing age their vaccine-imparted immunity from childhood has worn off.
 

Amys Bling

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None--- not even the chicken pox :o
 

AprilBaby

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Chicken pox, measles, mumps...we got the whole shebang! My grandfather had polio.
 

dragonfly411

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Chicken Pox
 

Tacori E-ring

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only the chicken pox. I remember when they tested my blood my rubella vac was basically gone so I got that shot before I was discharged from the hospital. You cannot get it while pregnant.

ETA: my university requires vac records and require an extra MMR. I think a lot of them wear off and people don't realize it.
 

Autumnovember

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Nothing...not even chicken pox...
 

Hudson_Hawk

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Haven|1311798923|2978242 said:
I had chicken pox and scarlet fever. I don't think scarlet fever was as serious as it once was when I had it, but I remember all of the older adults in my family acting like I was going to die when they found out. It just felt like strep throat with a rash, to be honest. Do kids even get that anymore?


Scarlet fever is the same infection as strep throat, just a different presentation. Yes kids still get it, but with treatment it's not as dangerous as it was in the days of Little House on the Prairie and Helen Keller :p

I've had chicken pox and scarlet fever. Chicken pox has become so rare recently that many younger doctors have never seen it in patients. I've had two friends whose babies (10 mo) have gotten it recently and in both cases their peds had trouble identifying it until an older doc was brought in for a consult. The vaccination isn't given until 18-24 months so babies younger than that can still get it.
 

AmeliaG

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Mumps and chicken pox. I don't know why I didn't get the vaccine for mumps; I barely remember coming down with it, I was very young.

Chicken pox was the most uncomfortable childhood disease I had but the doctors weren't too concerned. A couple of kids got measles and they were VERY concerned because of possible brain damage. My brother's chicken pox was so mild he barely noticed it; I was so jealous.
 

mayerling

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Are scarlet fever and appendicitis considered childhood illnesses?
 

mayerling

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Hudson_Hawk|1311864011|2978879 said:
Haven|1311798923|2978242 said:
I had chicken pox and scarlet fever. I don't think scarlet fever was as serious as it once was when I had it, but I remember all of the older adults in my family acting like I was going to die when they found out. It just felt like strep throat with a rash, to be honest. Do kids even get that anymore?


Scarlet fever is the same infection as strep throat, just a different presentation. Yes kids still get it, but with treatment it's not as dangerous as it was in the days of Little House on the Prairie and Helen Keller :p

I've had chicken pox and scarlet fever. Chicken pox has become so rare recently that many younger doctors have never seen it in patients. I've had two friends whose babies (10 mo) have gotten it recently and in both cases their peds had trouble identifying it until an older doc was brought in for a consult. The vaccination isn't given until 18-24 months so babies younger than that can still get it.

I think all these illnesses are basically Old World diseases and occur more rarely in the US than in Europe.
 

ladypirate

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I also had chicken pox and scarlet fever. Can't believe chicken pox is so rare these days!
 
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