My bf has shingles, will I get chicken pox??!
Question:
My bf has shingles, will I get chicken pox??
We just found out my bf has shingles. I've never had the chicken pox but I did get the varacella vaccine about five years ago. Is there still a great chance of me getting chicken pox?
Answers:
Yes you can still get the chicken pox even though you got the vaccine. The vaccine is between 70-90% effective in preventing the disease. Some individuals are infected with the virus and create antibodies against it, but never have a rash that is recognized as chicken pox.
There are several unanswered questions about the vaccine, including:
How long it protects against chicken pox and whether booster shots will be required to keep immunity.
If the vaccine will have any beneficial effect for older adults in the prevention of shingles. Shingles results when an adult loses their immunity to the varicella zoster virus. It appears as a rash with painful blister like qualities generally in one area of the body.