Guest Author - Lisa Binion
Chicken pox comes from the family of “Herpesviruses”. From this same lovely family of viruses come fever blisters and mononucleosis, or “mono” as it is more commonly known.
Although highly contagious, chicken pox is a mild disease common among children. Since it is so contagious, it is best to keep the infected child away from others until the sickness is over. Chicken pox is characterized by a rash of painful and itchy blisters and may be accompanied by fever, as well as fatigue.
Once you contracted the disease, you were free of it. It is best to have chicken pox when young. In 1995, though, a vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration . This vaccine is now available in just about any doctors’ offices or clinics. It is not known how long the vaccine is effective. In other words, it could only last for a year or it could last for 10 years, but it doesn’t last a lifetime.
This mild disease used to be thought of as a normal part of childhood. The sickness enters the body through the nose and mouth and comes into contact with the mucous membranes, which triggers an immune response. Next in the virus’s travel itinerary is the lymphatic system, which is put on alert to muster up additional defenses. Only now after the body has had sufficient time to put into play all of its defenses is the virus allowed access to the blood stream and major organs. Since the body’s defenses have been at work, the major organs are usually kept safe from harm.
When one is exposed to the virus from the vaccine, neither the mucous membranes or lymphatic system are alerted, therefore no immune response is triggered. The virus gains immediate access to the bloodstream and major organs. The vaccine is so new that there is no way to know for sure the long term implications of this.
When mothers give birth to their babies, the immunity for chickenpox is passed from mother to child in order to protect the innocent infant from this bothersome sickness. If the mother has received the vaccine, will she still pass on immunity for this sickness? The answer to that question is not known yet.
What about known side effects? According to the package inserts, adverse reactions include seizures, numbness, joint and muscle pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea, itching, red skin patches, hives, inflamed lungs, disturbed sleep, and irritability.
Also according to the package inserts, the Center for Disease Control has admitted that the vaccine may cause the following reactions:
1) high fever
2) seizure brought on by high fever
3) pneumonia
4) severe brain reactions
5) low blood count
6) behavior changes
7) difficulty breathing, hoarseness, wheezing hives, paleness, weakness, fast heart beat
Also interesting to know before you submit to one of these vaccines is that if you or your child are damaged in a way described in the package inserts, the manufacturer is free of liability. In other words, the drug manufacturer won't be held liable, so you won't receive any form of compensation.
In my opinion it would just be better for a child to experience chicken pox, rather than risk the side effects of the vaccine.
