[Aces4]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

First straightforward medical question in quite a while---thank you.

Yes, you must have had chicken pox to get shingles (Herpes zoster)

When you are originally infected with Varicella (chicken pox), preferably as a child, the virus stays dormant in 33 pairs of dorsal root ganglia and 12 pairs of cranial nerve ganglia for the rest of your life. At some later point in that life, either due to concurrent illness, immunosuppression, stress, or just age, the virus can "crawl" down one of those nerves and cause the classic shingles skin breakout in just one dermatome. (You can actually have 2 adjacent dermatomes affected, but anything more is disseminated Zoster, in which case make sure your will is up to date.)

Now, there will be people who claim they got Zoster but never had chicken pox. In reality, 90+% of the population know they had it, and of the 10% who don't think they had it, 95% will have Varicella antibodies. The 0.5% of the population that actually never had chicken pox CANNOT get shingles. Also, know this---you can't get shingles from someone with shingles, you can only get primary chicken pox if you are not immune.

Question: Can one have natural immunity to chickenpox even though they have never had chickenpox or been vaccinated?

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Question: Can one have natural immunity to chickenpox even though they have never had chickenpox?

Short answer, highly unlikely.

Your question is actually 2 questions in one:

1) Can someone who doesn't believe they ever had chicken pox have immunity?

Yes, since antibody studies show almost everyone who "never had chicken pox", actually did---a sub-clinical case, an exposure that triggered an immune response, etc.

2) Can someone who truly never had chicken pox or raised an antibody response, someone whose Varicella titer is zero have "natural immunity?

Highly improbable. The explanation would be fairly complex, but the simple version is that our immune system is constantly "experimenting" with theoretical antibodies against theoretical diseases. So technically, even if the Martian flu comes back with the samples NASA is planning on bringing back from Mars, there would be some people with "natural immunity". It's also a two edged sword. The "experimental" antibody could be harmful to ourselves, in which case it is supposed to be destroyed when it fails the test of "sameness" against our major histocompatibility complex in specialized immunologically active tissues. But when that "self-destruct" mechanism fails, we get autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. (Sorry, that was the simple version)

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

Short answer, highly unlikely.

Your question is actually 2 questions in one:

1) Can someone who doesn't believe they ever had chicken pox have immunity?

Yes, since antibody studies show almost everyone who "never had chicken pox", actually did---a sub-clinical case, an exposure that triggered an immune response, etc.

2) Can someone who truly never had chicken pox or raised an antibody response, someone whose Varicella titer is zero have "natural immunity?

Highly improbable. The explanation would be fairly complex, but the simple version is that our immune system is constantly "experimenting" with theoretical antibodies against theoretical diseases. So technically, even if the Martian flu comes back with the samples NASA is planning on bringing back from Mars, there would be some people with "natural immunity". It's also a two edged sword. The "experimental" antibody could be harmful to ourselves, in which case it is supposed to be destroyed when it fails the test of "sameness" against our major histocompatibility complex in specialized immunologically active tissues. But when that "self-destruct" mechanism fails, we get autoimmune diseases, such as lupus or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. (Sorry, that was the simple version)

We have an interesting situation in that our youngest son did not contract chickenpox in the early eighties when his siblings were sick with them. I encouraged him to get a titer to check his immunity when he began employment in a hospital setting. He had immunity. His grandmother was the only one of eight siblings not to contract chickenpox when they were all ill with the pox. She raised a large family and we all had chickenpox at one time but she never contracted them and at a very ripe old age passed away without any history of shingles. Always made us wonder.

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by Aces4

We have an interesting situation in that our youngest son did not contract chickenpox in the early eighties when his siblings were sick with them. I encouraged him to get a titer to check his immunity when he began employment in a hospital setting. He had immunity. His grandmother was the only one of eight siblings not to contract chickenpox when they were all ill with the pox. She raised a large family and we all had chickenpox at one time but she never contracted them and at a very ripe old age passed away without any history of shingles. Always made us wonder.

Wonder what the result of a Varicella titer would have been. Of course, the overwhelming odds are that she would have been positive.

[JKELLYNY]

Originally Posted by Darield

At the end of last year I had to go to an Urgent Care because I sliced my finger and needed stitches. They would not give me a Tetanus shot and said go to the pharmacy. Although all of my deductibles were paid, The Pharmacy said it would be $110. I went to another Urgent Care and as long as I asked to have my finger re-bandaged and checked, the Tetanus shot was covered under my insurance and no charge. Once again, I went into a pharmacy for a Shingles shot and they wanted $220. My doctor said to get it at the pharmacy. I have spent a walloping $12 on prescriptions this year so I'm certainly not maxed out. The explanation from the pharmacy is; according to Medicare classic this is a pharmacy charge not a medical charge.

Has anyone else run into this problem? Does anyone have a solution other than to find a doctor's office that will give vaccines or pay these high prices?

Check with your insurance company

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by champion6

You haven't said what your insurance coverage is. Regarding the shingles shot, what you pay out-of-pocket depends on your insurance company.

My wife and I have Medicare. Each of us has a different prescription drug plan (Part D). For the 2 Shingrix shots (for shingles), my plan covered about 50% of the cost. My wife's plan covered hardly any of it. She saved a few dollars by using GoodRX instead of her part D plan.

My take -- when it comes to healthcare, it's a jungle out there!

As far as "a jungle" goes......the problem is that the US is the only major country that does not have a Single Payer system AKA National Health Care. Nixon tried to give the US a National Health Care system, but could NOT convince Congress. So now the bottom line is such that, we are stuck with this INSURANCE JUNGLE.

[rogerk]

Find a Primary Care Doctor so you have a relationship and history. IMO, You’ll get the best advice and most effective treatment rather than going to Urgent Care centers.

[Keefelane66]

Originally Posted by Darield

At the end of last year I had to go to an Urgent Care because I sliced my finger and needed stitches. They would not give me a Tetanus shot and said go to the pharmacy. Although all of my deductibles were paid, The Pharmacy said it would be $110. I went to another Urgent Care and as long as I asked to have my finger re-bandaged and checked, the Tetanus shot was covered under my insurance and no charge. Once again, I went into a pharmacy for a Shingles shot and they wanted $220. My doctor said to get it at the pharmacy. I have spent a walloping $12 on prescriptions this year so I'm certainly not maxed out. The explanation from the pharmacy is; according to Medicare classic this is a pharmacy charge not a medical charge.

Has anyone else run into this problem? Does anyone have a solution other than to find a doctor's office that will give vaccines or pay these high prices?

The cost of Vaccines can be an issue. Unfortunately, a diabetic can spend up to $1200 monthly