Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccine is Underused

Routine use of the varicella vaccine for immunization against chickenpox was recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1995, and formalized by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in 1996. But according to studies by the Centers for Disease Control, about 70% of eligible children remain unimmunized.

Varicella is a common and highly infectious disease that infects almost everyone. Before the vaccine was available about 4 million cases were recorded annually in the US with 90% of the infections in occurring in children. Each year 10,000 people were hospitalized and 100 people died from varicella and its complications, which include group A streptococcal disease.

The vaccine is reported to be 70% to 90% effective in preventing varicella, and more than 95% effective in preventing severe cases of the virus. The ACIP stresses that the vaccine is of special importance for middle school children and susceptible adults. Adults are 10-20 times as likely to have a severe case of chickenpox with complications.

The Academy policy statement suggests several possible barriers to the common use of the varicella vaccine, including the misconception that chickenpox is always a mild and harmless disease, and the lack of requirements for the vaccine by public schools and licensed child care centers. Some states have already begun the process of adding the varicella vaccine to the list of required immunizations.

This information was abstracted from the Varicella Vaccine Policy Update, which is publicly available from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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.