Is it ok to immunise older child while I'm pregnant?

[sneakysparkle]

Wasn't sure where to post this - but here goes

DD is due for her 18mth old needle (I think its just chicken pox vaccine?) but a friend told me that because I'm pregnant I should hold off on giving it to her... has anyone else heard this before?

I thought it was only a problem if I actually had chicken pox while pg?

TIA!

[MantaRay]

The chicken pox is a live-virus vaccine I think, which means that you could potentially contract it from her for a while after her immunisation. But it is only an issue in the first trimester. Once you are past that you are ok.

[2CheekyMonkeys]

as far as i know if your child ends up getting a chicken pox like rash its not the contagious type. but just check with your GP before you get it done.

[Arimeh]

Wow I didn't even know there was a risk. I was still pregnant when DS got his done and the doc never even mentioned anything to me...

[Nai]

It's only an issue in the first and third trimesters and also only if you don't have immunity yourself. If you are immune then you will be ok.

[Olive]

yep as nai said!! get your immunity checked first!
i got my levels checked as we were going to start TTC, found i had immunity and had her done, i also checked with the pregnant girls in mothersgroup to make sure they were immune before i had her done as well

[sneakysparkle]

Thanks girls!

[Mum2Princess]

Great advice, I had never heard this before either!!

[bon]

The amount injected is only just enough for the child to develop an immune response, and therefore the "memory" cells, so that if they come into contact with chicken pox later, the body's immune system will swing into action much quicker and fight the virus much more efficiently than if it didn't have the immunization. It is not enough for the virus to actually take hold and cause real illness. The risk of contracting chicken pox from a child that has had the immunization is very very low, although theoretically it *could* happen, it is very unlikely to. If the child that had the needle, who previously has never had chicken pox, doesn't contract it - and they have been directly exposed to the virus- then it is even less likely that anyone else will get it either.