Should Your Child Be Vaccinated for Chicken Pox?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Practitioners both recommend that healthy individuals over age 1 be vaccinated for chicken pox. However, many parents have mixed feelings about having their children vaccinated. After all, we got chicken pox the old fashioned way. Why the fuss over a mild childhood disease that rarely lasts more than two weeks?

What are the vaccine's benefits?

The chicken pox vaccine (technically called the varicella-zoster vaccine) prevents the disease or at least diminishes its severity. Children, therefore, will be spared the characteristic blistering rash and fever that accompany chicken pox. Although rare, chicken pox can cause complications including bacterial infections of the skin, pneumonia and encephalitis. Given the potential complications and number of work and school days lost, there has been growing support for the vaccine.

What are the risks?

The vaccine is safe for healthy people and the only "risk" is minor discomfort at the injection site. However, the vaccine should not be given to anyone with a fever or immune-system problems. If your child has a chronic condition, please discuss the vaccine in detail with his or her physician.

Does the vaccine last forever?

Studies have shown the vaccine to be greater than 95% effective for up to 20 years and 100% effective in children for the first year after immunization. If an immunized person later contracts chicken pox, the illness tends to be much milder and the risk of complications is much less. If further studies suggest that the vaccine wears off over time, booster immunizations will be made available.

At what age should my child be vaccinated?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a single dose vaccine be given to children between the ages of 12 and 18 months. However, older children who have not yet contracted chicken pox also can be vaccinated. If your child has not yet had chicken pox, or had the disease when younger than 12 months, please speak with your child's physician.

Should adolescents and adults be vaccinated?

Yes, if they have not yet contracted the disease. While the disease is mild in children, it can be more severe in adolescents and adults.

How do I get the vaccine?

Speak with your doctor or call us at (414) 456-5900. The cost is covered by most health insurance policies.

David Severance, MD
MCW Family Physician, Lincoln Avenue Clinic

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.