Varicella Vaccine

Varicella (chickenpox) 

1. Why get vaccinated?

Chickenpox vaccine is the best way to prevent chickenpox in order to protect children and adults from the serious complications and deaths associated with the disease. Even with uncomplicated chickenpox cases, lost time from school and work and cost of medication or treatment that may be needed, can result in a significant cost to the family.

 

2. Do children prefer to have vaccination against chickenpox?

In a recent study, 7 out of 10 children, said since the election, they'd have shot, than the natural disease. 7 out of 10 children considered for varicella is also to be worse than many other common childhood ailments, including colds, earache, sore throat and fever. The study also found that 3 out of 4 parents are unaware that death is a possible complication of chickenpox.

3. How long has the chickenpox vaccine is available?

Varicella vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1995 and is now widespread in private doctors' offices and public health clinics.

4. Who should be vaccinated?

All children between 12 and 18 months, must have one dose of chickenpox vaccine. Children who have had chickenpox do not need the vaccine. No test should be administered to determine immune status - parents' recollection of the disease regarded as a reliable measure of previous infection and therefore immunity.

Children between 19 months and their 13th birthday who have not had chickenpox should be vaccinated with a single dose.

Persons 13 years and older who have not had chickenpox should receive two doses of vaccine 4 to 8 weeks apart.

5. Is the chickenpox vaccine are needed for childcare and school entry?

Yes, more than 20 states passed such requirements - children entering child care and school must have a history of chickenpox, serological (blood) evidence of immunity or documentation of receiving chickenpox vaccine: Many other countries are in the process of adopting such requirements.

6. What are the benefits of having chicken pox vaccination requirements for child care and school entry?

The decision to vaccinate each child to benefit both the individual and the surrounding community. During the school requirements for vaccination, achieves a high level of protection in schools, kindergartens and childcare centers, resulting in less illness and school time missed by healthy children (some of which may have serious complications) and less risk of serious infections among children who can not be vaccinated. Persons who are unable to receive the varicella vaccine include children with leukemia and other cancers in humans receiving high doses of steroid medications for a range of medical conditions (including asthma), pregnant women and children under 1 year. These people have a higher risk of developing severe chickenpox complications. The only way to protect them is to achieve high vaccination coverage among persons in society, so they are less likely to come into contact with someone with chickenpox.

7. How important is it for adults to be vaccinated for chickenpox?

All adults who have never had chickenpox should be vaccinated. Immunity is especially important for young people and adults who have close contact with persons at high risk for serious complications and for those who may come into close contact with children. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices especially recommends.

 vaccination for the following susceptible adolescents and adults:

Persons living or working in environments in which chickenpox transmission is likely (for example, teachers of young children, day care staff and residents / staff in institutional settings)

People who live or work in places where chickenpox transmission can occur (eg, college students, inmates and staff in correctional institutions and military personnel) 

Non-pregnant women of childbearing age (women should avoid pregnancy for 1 month after each vaccine dose)

Adolescents and adults living in households with children

International travelers

Adults do not have chickenpox, if:

You have a credible history who have had chickenpox. 

You have blood tests that show you are immune to chickenpox. 

You have already had two doses of varicella. 

You were born in the U.S. before 1980 

You have a credible history of herpes zoster (shingles). See Shingles for more information.

8. Is the vaccine effective in preventing chickenpox all the time?

No vaccine is 100% effective in preventing disease. For chickenpox vaccine, about 8 to 9 out of 10 people who are vaccinated are completely protected from chickenpox. The vaccine is almost always prevents against severe disease. If a vaccinated person does get chickenpox, it is usually a very mild case with fewer skin lesions (usually less than 50), which only lasted a few days, no fever or a low fever, and some other symptoms.

9. I do not think I've had chickenpox, but I'm not sure. Is there a blood test available to determine whether or not I have had the disease?

Yes, a blood test available to check immunity. Since 70% to 90% of adults who can not remember having chickenpox actually have protection in their blood when tested, the blood samples before vaccination to be cost saving. Ask your doctor about the blood test. If not available, it is still safe to receive the vaccine, even if you have previously had chickenpox.

10. Is there anyone who should not receive varicella?

Yes, some people do not get chickenpox vaccine. These people are those who: 

Ever had a serious allergic reaction to chickenpox vaccine, neomycin or gelatin (Note: The chickenpox vaccine contains no eggs)

Now, moderate or severe disease (Note: The vaccine can be administered to persons with a mild fever, colds or diarrhea), Pregnant Is able to fight serious infections because of:

Any form of cancer or cancer treatment with X-rays or drugs (Note: If your child has leukemia in remission, he / she may be entitled to receive the vaccine, ask your doctor) 

A disease that depress cellular immunity (Note: If your child has HIV infection, but has a normal immune function, he / she can receive the vaccine, ask your doctor) 

Treatment with medications such as long-term steroids

Have received blood products (such as immune globulin or a transfusion) during the past five months.

If you're not sure, ask your doctor or nurse.

11. What problems can occur after chickenpox vaccination?

Soreness, redness, swelling, or if the shot was given, is the most common adverse event, occurring around 20% of the time.

A very mild rash or several small bumps can result in about 1% to 4% of vaccine recipients. [Note: In very rare cases it may be possible for a person to get a rash from chickenpox vaccine to give vaccine strain chickenpox to another person. Individuals who develop a rash after vaccination should take extra precautions to avoid contact with anyone whose immune system is not correct.]

In children, the vaccine does not cause fever. There are no studies comparing fever after vaccination of adults who were vaccinated with adults who were not vaccinated. The vaccine can cause a mild fever 2 weeks after vaccination.

A seizure (jerking and staring spell) usually caused by fever may occur in fewer than 1 in 1000 vaccinated. This may not be related to the vaccine.

12. Severe reactions have ever occurred from chicken pox vaccine?

As with all vaccines, there is very little chance that serious problems could occur after getting chickenpox vaccine. But after the breakdown of the first 10 million doses of vaccine, reports of serious adverse reactions after vaccination, for example, seizures, brain infection (encephalitis), pneumonia, loss of balance (ataxia) and severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) have been very infrequent approximately 1 per 50,000 given doses. Reported adverse events following vaccination may not always be caused by the vaccine. Some may be due to natural varicella virus, which is still prevalent in most societies, and some may be caused by other viruses, which happens to be circulating in society at the time of vaccination. It is important to note that the risk of the vaccine is still much lower than the risk of disease.

13. What should I do if there is a severe reaction after chickenpox vaccination?

Call a doctor or get the person to a doctor immediately.

Write down what happened and the date and time it happened.

Ask your doctor, nurse or health department to file a Vaccine Adverse Event Report, or you can call (800) 822-7967 (toll free).

14. Can chicken pox be transmitted (caught from a person who was vaccinated)?

Yes, but the transmission of chickenpox are very rare. It has only been documented in healthy persons on three occasions out of 21 million doses of vaccine distributed. All three cases resulted in mild disease without complications.

15. I recently got vaccinated and then found out I was pregnant. What should I do?

If you've discovered that you were pregnant when you got the chickenpox vaccine, or if you become pregnant within 1 month after getting the vaccine, contact your doctor or call (800) 986-8999 (toll free). The vaccine manufacturer (Merck) and CDC maintain a register of reports of women inadvertently vaccinated before or during pregnancy. There is a theoretical risk that when given a month before or during pregnancy, the vaccine may cause birth defects similar to those that arise because of natural varicella (for example, limb abnormalities including absence or underdevelopment, abnormal brain development mental retardation, scarring of the skin, eye abnormalities). So far, there have been cases reported to the registry of birth defects in children born of mothers vaccinated during pregnancy, similar to those that can occur from having natural chickenpox during pregnancy.

16. My child was vaccinated 2-3 years ago, and he / she developed a mild case of chickenpox in years. Why did it happen?

After vaccination, some people (about 1 person in 10) does not develop enough protection to completely prevent them from developing chickenpox. When they come into close contact with someone with chickenpox, they may develop a mild illness with less than 50 spots or bumps. Compared with a case of chickenpox in an unvaccinated child, they will show very little signs of illness and may miss some school, or only 1 or 2 days at the school. Children who were vaccinated in their early childhood can have their first close contact with another child with chickenpox in child care or school settings, several years after vaccination. That is why they can come down with mild chickenpox several years after they were vaccinated. This form of chickenpox is also called breakthrough disease.

17. Can a vaccinated person who develops a mild case of chickenpox still spread the disease?

Yes. Vaccinated persons who get this milder form of chickenpox may still spread the disease to others who are not protected. That is why these people stay home until the blisters have formed scabs or if there are no blisters present, until no new spots or bumps are there.

18. If a person who has never had chickenpox or the vaccine comes in close contact with someone with chickenpox can get the vaccine now to prevent that person from getting chickenpox?

Yes, chickenpox vaccination can prevent or modify varicella if administered up to 3 days, and possibly 5 days, after a close exposure. Anyone coming in close contact with someone with chickenpox, and have not had chickenpox or the vaccine should consult their health care provider for vaccination.

19. There have been plenty of cases of chickenpox at my child's school during the last month. Is it too late to get my child vaccinated?

No, it's not too late to vaccinate your child if she / he has previously had chickenpox or the vaccine. In schools and childcare centers, it may take many months for varicella, which spread to the whole class. At all stages of an outbreak, all susceptible children and adults vaccinated.

20. How long does the vaccine protect someone against chickenpox? Will a booster vaccination be needed?

The length of protection / immunity from any new vaccine is never known when it is introduced. However, available information collected from persons vaccinated in Japan in the United States show that protection has lasted as long as the vaccinated persons have been followed (25 years in Japan and more than 10 years in the U.S.). Follow-up studies to determine how long protection will last, and to assess the need and timing for booster vaccination are ongoing. If it is set in the future that a booster dose is needed, your doctor should inform you. Currently, no booster dose is recommended.

21. Few cases of varicella declined in the U.S. since the chickenpox vaccine became available?

Yes, cases dropped dramatically. Since 1995, CDC, in collaboration with Los Angeles County, Texas and Philadelphia health departments followed chickenpox cases in these 3 areas in the United States. Since the use of vaccine has increased, chickenpox cases have fallen considerably.