Does the Baby Need to Receive the Chickenpox Vaccine?

The chickenpox vaccine is the key to preventing varicella and herpes zoster virus, which is highly contagious and can cause severe diseases. It is recommended that children receive two doses of the vaccine at the ages of one and four. Children who are not vaccinated will almost certainly contract chickenpox during childhood, which is particularly dangerous for newborns and may cause painful rashes and long-term chronic pain in older children. Therefore, vaccination is very important.

What are the benefits of the chickenpox vaccine?

Experts recommend the chickenpox vaccine (also known as the live attenuated varicella vaccine), and most schools and daycare centers require it. Here’s why:

• Chickenpox is a serious disease that causes itchy and painful blister rashes, accompanied by fever and fatigue in children. Infected blisters may require antibiotic treatment and may leave scars. Children need to stay at home until the blisters scab over, which usually takes a week. Doctor Dezur shared her experience of having chickenpox as a child and suffering from shingles as an adult, which was sometimes unrelieved by medication.
• Chickenpox can be severe and even fatal. Before the vaccine was available, chickenpox caused more than 10,500 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths in the United States each year. Most cases and hospitalizations were among children. In addition to skin infections, chickenpox can also cause vasculitis, pneumonia, encephalitis, and infections of the blood, bones, or joints.
• In 2019, there were approximately 84 million cases of chickenpox worldwide. The vaccine not only protects your child during travel but also prevents the virus from being transmitted to your child by travelers returning to the United States from abroad.
• Two doses of the vaccine are approximately 90% effective in preventing chickenpox, and children who get chickenpox after vaccination usually have very mild symptoms, which typically means fewer blisters, no fever, and a shorter illness duration.
• The vaccine may prevent shingles, a disease caused by the chickenpox virus. About one-third of adults who have had chickenpox will develop shingles, which is a painful and cosmetically affecting rash. The chickenpox virus lies dormant in the central nervous system and may reactivate later in life. People who have been vaccinated against chickenpox will have milder symptoms even if they develop shingles.
• This vaccine helps to generate “herd immunity” or “community immunity,” which means that when enough people are vaccinated against the disease, the likelihood of an outbreak is reduced. It also provides protection for people with weakened immune systems and infants who have not yet been able to receive the vaccine. Doctor Dezur said, “Minimizing the spread of this virus within the community is important for infants and children with compromised immune systems.”

Some parents and grandparents believe that since they had chickenpox as children and recovered, the vaccine is unnecessary. Others think it is better to let children naturally contract chickenpox to gain immunity. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that vaccinating children against chickenpox is safer and has included it in the recommended immunization schedule.

What is the recommended vaccination schedule?

Two doses, with an interval of at least three months.

Recommended ages:

• Between 12 and 15 months
• Between 4 and 6 years of age

People aged 13 and above who have never been vaccinated against chickenpox or have never had chickenpox should receive two doses of the vaccine, with an interval of at least 28 days.

The chickenpox vaccine is usually combined with the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine into a single shot, called the MMRV (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella) combined vaccine. Discuss with your child’s doctor the feasibility of different vaccination methods and which one may be most suitable for your child.

Who should not receive the chickenpox vaccine?

Children allergic to gelatin or neomycin should not receive the vaccine. If a severe allergic reaction occurs after the first dose, the second dose should be avoided. Children with cancer, immune system diseases, recent blood transfusions, or those taking high-dose oral steroids need to be evaluated by a doctor before vaccination.

If a child has a mild cold, they may still be vaccinated. However, if the child is moderately or severely ill, they should communicate with the doctor and may need to postpone vaccination. Pregnant women should not receive this vaccine, as it may cause severe complications.

Is the chickenpox vaccine a live vaccine?

The chickenpox vaccine is a weakened live virus designed to stimulate an immune response to prevent infection, but in very few cases, it may cause a mild rash. If a rash occurs after vaccination, avoid contact with infants and people with weakened immune systems to prevent virus transmission.

What are the possible side effects?

Most children will not experience any side effects after vaccination. Possible reactions include:

• Soreness and/or redness or swelling in the arm at the injection site.
• Low-grade fever
• Mild rash
• Swollen glands in the cheeks or neck
• Temporary pain and stiffness in the joints

The chickenpox vaccine can prevent varicella-zoster virus-induced chickenpox infection, which is manifested as an itchy and painful rash. Children need to be vaccinated with two doses at the ages of 1 and 4 to 6 years. Although the vaccine has significantly reduced the number of chickenpox cases in the United States, millions of chickenpox cases still occur globally each year.