Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Getting Chickenpox from a Sister with Shingles | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
I think that my nine-year-old daughter may have chickenpox, but I'm not sure. She's been vaccinated against chickenpox, but her 12-year-old sister had shingles two weeks ago. Now my younger daughter has raised bumps, about the size of a pencil head, and the center is white but not filled with liquid. They are itchy and they hurt when touched. They are definitely spreading--she has them on her legs, back, stomach, and face. Help!! I don't know what it is. Thanks.
— Frustrated Mom in Chicago | | | ANSWER |
November 12, 2000 | | | Dear Frustrated Mom,
While it's hard to diagnose rashes without seeing them, it is possible that your nine-year-old daughter has chickenpox, even though she's been vaccinated. However, this kind of rash could be due to something else that needs specific treatment (such as a staph infection that requires antibiotics), so you should ask your child's healthcare provider to have a look.
Shingles (or herpes zoster) results from reactivation of the chickenpox (or varicella virus) years after the initial chickenpox infection. Shingles isn't nearly as contagious as chickenpox because there is no respiratory spread of the virus (such as by sneezing and coughing), and the rash is usually limited to one part of the body. However, it's possible for people with shingles to transmit the virus to others, so your 12-year-old daughter could have given it to her sister. Also, although the chickenpox vaccine prevents severe chickenpox, it doesn't prevent all mild cases of the disease.— by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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