Why You Get Chickenpox Twice

There are some situations in which a child might get chickenpox more than once, including:

Getting their first case of chickenpox when they were very young, especially if they were younger than 6 months oldHaving a very mild or subclinical infection the first timeDeveloping a problem with their immune system

Vaccination After Chickenpox Infection

Most children who get chickenpox are considered naturally immune and don’t need a chickenpox vaccine. You might want to have your child vaccinated, however, if they were very young or had a very mild case of chickenpox. That should keep most of these kids from getting chickenpox again.

And with so many kids having been vaccinated, there are also fewer folks around to expose an immunocompromised child or adult to chickenpox. Those factors make it even less likely for a child to get a repeat infection.

Incidence of Second Cases

According to the CDC, “Immunity following varicella infection is considered to be long-lasting and second cases of varicella are considered rare. However, second cases may occur more commonly among immunocompetent persons than previously considered.”

Fortunately, with the rise in the use of the chickenpox vaccine, the incidence of first and second cases of chickenpox is much less common these days.

Misdiagnoses

One common reason for a child to have a second attack of chickenpox is simply because the first case, or maybe the second case, was really something else that was misdiagnosed as chickenpox.

Testing for chickenpox is rarely required, but some tests can confirm if a child has chickenpox. These can be helpful in mild cases or when a child has a suspected second case of chickenpox.

Tests for chickenpox can include:

PCR or DFA of cellular matter from an unroofed vesicleViral culture of fluid from chickenpox lesionIgG and IgM antibody levels

Shingles

Later in life, some people who have had chickenpox will develop shingles, a related condition. A shingles vaccine is available to people age 50 and older.

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