That's true, Jane. I've had the mumps twice, and the MMR vax 3 times. Once
immune to mumps, I am no longer, and required a 4th shot for my job. Chicken
pox is one of those nasty little viruses that lies dormant, and resurfaces
under stress or lowered immunity - as shingles. People don't usually get pox
again - at least not the kind that are all over the body. Shingles follows
the nerve path, and you can't catch shingles from someone with shingles -
you can get pox from someone with shingles, though, if you're not immune.
Shingles typically hits older people, whereas they would have had pox as a
child. And, only about 4% of those who have had shingles will get a repeat
attack.

However, with the advent of the pox vax, more and more children are
developing shingles at an earlier and earlier age. And more and more college
age kids are contracting pox, thanks again to the waning immunity of the
vax. Those who had pox are unlikely to be reinfected with pox, but might
develop shingles as a result of stress.

And to bring this back to the original discussion, my point was, unless the
vaccine is specifically modified to exactly the virus at hand, it is
unlikely to confer the exact antibodies to the infant. Is this necessary for
the infant, or is it enough that the mother's immune system is pumped up so
as to confer a level of assistance to the infant? If we test a baby whose
mother shows immunity to Virus AX, is the baby going to show immunity to
Virus AX, or is the baby going to have an increased immune response, period?

Best wishes,
Sam Doak

<<

If what you say is true - that immunity conferred by getting the disease is
permanent - then WHY do people that have had chickenpox still get shingles?
That's a virus also.  I don't think you can find real evidence that immunity
is permanent.  Read Hanson's book on immunobiology.  He says that over a
long period of time, immunity wanes unless restimulated by exposure to the
viral agent again. 
>>

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