People 13 and older who have not received the vaccine yet and have not had chickenpox should get 2 doses that are 4-8 weeks apart.

VACCINE INFORMATION:
Chickenpox is a caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). It is highly contagious. The CDC estimates that more than 4 million cases of chickenpox take place in the U.S. every year, occurring more often in the winter and spring. Generally, the infection is mild and not life threatening, but there are a number of cases each year in which people become seriously ill, requiring hospitalization, and some die from it.

People who get chickenpox as adults are more likely to have complications from the virus than children. Since the vaccine became available, the number of cases per year has decreased. There are benefits and risks associated with any vaccination, but so far the benefits of the chickenpox vaccine seem to outweigh the risks in most cases.

STATE REQUIREMENTS:
Since 1999, some states have started requiring children to have the chickenpox vaccine in order to enter pre-school or public school systems.

The following is considered acceptable proof of immunity:

• A history of having chickenpox
• Showing that you have had the vaccine
• Showing a blood test result that indicates immunity by having the antibodies in your bloodstream

The chickenpox vaccine provides long-term immunity to the disease. So far the immunity is thought to be anywhere from 10-20 years, but it may be a lifetime. Studies are taking place to determine if re-vaccination will be needed, but so far there is no recommendation for re-vaccination.

Another benefit to the vaccine is that chickenpox can be very difficult on working parents -- often a parent has to miss work to stay home with children who have chickenpox. A child may miss as much as a week of school recovering, and generally a parent may have to miss 2-3 days from work.

RISKS:
The side effects from the chickenpox vaccine are generally minor. In fact, most people who receive the vaccine have no side effects at all.

Some of the mild possible side effects include:

• Fever
• Pain and swelling in the shot location
• A mild chickenpox rash at the shot location, which remains localized to that area only

• Seizures caused by a high fever, which could occur anywhere from 1 week to 6 weeks after the injection.
• Pneumonia.
• A true allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), which could cause difficulty breathing, hives, wheezing, fast heart rate, dizziness, and changes in behavior. These would occur anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after the injection. This is extremely rare.
• Brain swelling (encephalitis).
• Muscle coordination loss.

• Pregnant women or women who are breastfeeding should NOT be given the vaccine
• Children or adults who have a weak immune system or who have a family history of congenital immunosuppressive diseases should NOT be given the vaccine.
• Children or adults who are allergic to the antibiotic neomycin or gelatin should NOT be given the vaccine because the vaccine has small amounts of both substances in it.
• Children or adults who have a serious illnesses, cancer, or conditions that make them immunosurpressed (such as AIDS) should NOT be given the vaccine.
• Children or adults who are taking corticosteroids for other conditions should NOT be given the vaccine during that time because steroids may lower the body's immune system.
• Anyone that has recently received a blood transfusion or other blood product should NOT receive the vaccine for several months.
• Children should NOT be given aspirin (salicylates) for 6 weeks after receiving the vaccination. There has been a connection reported with Reyes syndrome occurring after having the chickenpox vaccine.
• Children or adults should NOT be given the vaccine for 3-6 months after receiving an injection of immune globulin (given when someone needs extra help in fighting off infection) -- this could cause problems if combined with the chicken pox vaccine.

• You are uncertain as to whether the chickenpox immunization should be given.
• Any of the moderate to severe side effects appear after the injection.
• Any symptoms occur after the vaccine that alarm you.
• You have any other questions before or after the receiving the vaccine.

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