by Mica Blevins

Created on: June 27, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

I am a person who is a little sceptical of all the vaccinations our children are required to take! I truly believe the professionals take the decision making out of the hands of parents. With the case of Chicken Pox I do think that all children should get vaccinated. Having children of my own I tend to research every option available, and while I also believe it should be the parents ultimate decision,

I also think the vaccinations are necessary. Chicken Pox is a virus also known as varicella zoster virus (VZV) which is highly contagious as everyone knows but what most people do not realize is a virus lies dormant in the body! Should your child get Chicken Pox the signs will go away, but the virus will remain. The virus may never cause a problem later on down the road, but it is linked with Shingles later on in adulthood. Many people have suffered with Shingles and have said it was very painful, to the point they could not even get out of bed! I also know that although the vaccination is not a "forever" solution, it can at least help maintain the virus from spreading.

Case scenario your child has the Chicken Pox and hasn't shown any symptoms. You take them to your dearest friends house who has children, and is pregnant. Just thru that you have subjected your friends household, and unborn baby to the virus. Studies have shown while children may get the virus and recover quickly, it is not the same for a grown adult, nor a expecting Mother to be. Adults eventually get over it, sometimes with the scars to prove they have had the virus. Infection of a woman who is pregnant, can lead to injury to the unborn child! Ranging in Brain damage, to neurological disorders. know many moms who have said I would know and not take my child around people if they were infected!

My reply is what would be the first thing you would look for? A rash with red bumps? or maybe fever?Truth is the virus can be in the body for up to two days before any symptom is evident. It does however take ten to twenty one days after contact with a person who has Chicken Pox for the disease to develop. But then a parent is looking at five to ten days of keeping their child at home. As a Mother I try to understand not only what is going on in my child's life, but also what is going on inside of their bodies! If they have fever I want to know what is causing it, if they have a cough I want to know where it came from!

My three year old was diagnosed with West Nile at sixteen months of age, I did not like the feeling of not understanding what was going on! I studied the virus, and asked questions about how different people reacted! I needed to know so I could get a better grasp on the situation! A parent should know all childhood diseases and how it might effect their children! In this case it is always better to be safe than sorry! The side effects are minimal compared to one quick decision to not have your child vaccinated!

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