I just found out my 7 year old has shingles. She had the chicken pox vaccine when she was 1. That has been her only exposure. The doctor doesn't seem worried but I am. How can this happen and how will this affect her chances of recurrence? Any insight??

You are not guaranteed protection from the chicken pox if you get the shot. It is also unknown how long that shot "protects" one from chicken pox. Shingles is caused by a reactivation. I can tell you I had the real chicken pox before vaccines were developed and then when I was about 16 or 17 I has shingles. I had one spot on my back and it looked like black circles within a larger circle from what I remember and then it changed colors inside like deep bruising colors. It left a scar of a perfect circle on my back about the size of a regular drinking glass. I haven't had anything since that one time.

No clue how it happened to your child. I had shingles 18 months ago and was told it usually only happens with a compromised immune system or under severe stress, both of which applied to me at the time.

It was the most painful thing I have ever experienced, even worse than childbirth. I cried and cried from the pain. The only thing that helped was Tiger Balm, a pain relieving patch I found at the drugstore. But after a few days, as the inflammation spread down my arm from my back, even that quit helping (I think the nerve was too deep). Don't know how it affects the young ones, but I was very tired, and it took months to get over it. If your child complains of pain, believe them - it was more severe than anything I have ever experienced.

My son had shingles this past summer....he was 3 1/2 at the time. He actually had a mild form of Chicken Pox when he was 7 months old. A child in my other son's pre-school actually came down with the chicken poxs despite being immunized. My pre-schooler seemed to be the "carrier". He (also immunized) had a high fever, two pox marks. The baby also had a high fever and only one pox mark if you can believe that. Me.....no one in my family remembers me ever having it as a child. I had a 105 fever. I thought I was going to die!!!! lol

Because my son's exposure prior to a year old, it predisposes him to have shingles IN CHILDHOOD. He is a VERY HEALTHY child so we were totally shocked.
Your child my have had exposure and it was so mild that you didn't realize it. The only reason I did was because we were told about this other child and to be on the look out.

The shingles rash started on his jaw line and traveled the nerve pathway down his neck, shoulder, arm and hand. He had it for about 1 1/2 weeks and never complained. We had him on a antiviral right away that is used for shingles (forgot the name.) It may be because of that early detection and meds that made it easier on him. Not sure.

The good thing is that the younger you are the less pain and shorter duration of the shingles. The bad news, she may have another flare up in her lifetime. It's rare, but as rare as getting shingles as a child ...the percentages are there. My cousin's wife had shingles twice in her childhood. She said it was not bad.
Good luck. I hope she is better soon.:angel:

Thank you for your response. It helps to read other peoples experiences. She is on an anti-viral med and motrin. Her right thigh is COVERED in blisters. It looks so painful, but as you said, it's not as painful for children thank goodness! I'm glad your son is better and healthy!

Thank you for sharing.

The doctor said this is a reactivation from the vaccine. That really bothers me. I feel like I shouldn't have had my kids vaccinated. I should have just let them get chickenpox normally and build that immunity naturally. Can't go back, now!

I just found out from the school nurse that they are going to require a second chicken pox vaccine because they are finding that the one is not effective! My son had chicken pox at the age of one so he never got the vaccine. I had shingles for the first time about 2 1/2 years ago. For me it was awful and keeps recurring. I did hear though that in children it is not supposed to be as bad and also should be short in duration as compared to an adult. I hope your daughter gets well soon.

There is talk about how the chicken pox shot is causing adults to get shingles more often now. I think these things should run their course naturally. Before long there will be a new epidemic of shingles for adults. I vaccinated the first year and then quit. The only vaccination my daughter got after then was the chicken pox because we live in San Diego and there are many people here. I wish I wouldn't have let her get that shot. Chicken pox is mild on the grander scale here and she would have natural immunity. I refuse to buy into booster shots. Of course she isn't guaranteed to not get chicken pox either, so at least if she gets it for real she will have NATURAL immunity which cannot be matched.