Am I at a risk for getting infected with chicken pox?

Q: I am a 30 years old female. I am 7 months pregnant. My husband is suffering from chicken pox. Could you please tell me the kind of precautions I need to take to avoid getting infected by the disease? Should I get myself vaccinated?

A:You need to check from your mother, if you had suffered from chicken pox in childhood. If yes, you don't have to worry. If not, then you can take immunoglobulin (though by now, chances are that you would have already been infected). You need to consult your doctor in this case. However, at this stage, even if you do get chicken pox, the baby is unlikely to get infected. The maximum risk for infection is between 13 and 22 weeks, and again just before delivery.