CHICKENPOX VACCINE

WHAT Y0U NEED TO KNOW

1. Why get vaccinated?

Chickenpox (also called varicella) is a common
childhood disease. It is usually mild, but it can be
serious, especially in young infants and adults.

  • The chickenpox virus can be spread from person
    to person through the air, or by contact with fluid
    from chickenpox blisters.

  • It causes a rash, itching, fever, and tiredness.

  • It can lead to severe skin infection, scars,
    pneumonia, brain damage, or death.

  • A person who has had chickenpox can get a
    painful rash called shingles years later.

  • About 12,000 people are hospitalized for
    chickenpox each year in the United States.

  • About 100 people die each year in the United
    States as a result of chickenpox.

Chickenpox vaccine can prevent chickenpox.

Most people who get chickenpox vaccine will not
get chickenpox. But if someone who has been
vaccinated does get chickenpox, it is usually very
mild. They will have fewer spots, are less likely to
have a fever, and will recover faster.

2. Who should, get chickenpox vaccine and when?

* Children should get 1 dose of chickenpox
  vaccine between 12 and 18 months of age,
  or at any age after that if they have never had
  chickenpox.

People who do not get the vaccine until 13 years 
of age or older should get 2 doses, 4-8 weeks apart. 

Ask your doctor or nurse for details.

Chickenpox vaccine may be given at the same time
as other vaccines.

3. Some people should not get chickenpox vaccine or
   should wait

  • People should not get chickenpox vaccine if they
    have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction
    to gelatin, the antibiotic neomycin, or (for those
    needing a second dose) a previous dose of
    chickenpox vaccine.

  • People who are moderately or severely ill at the
    time the shot is scheduled should usually wait until
    they recover before getting chickenpox vaccine.

  • Pregnant women should wait to get chickenpox
    vaccine until after they have given birth. Women
    should not get pregnant for 1 month after getting
    chickenpox vaccine.

  • Some people should check with their doctor
    about whether they should get chickenpox vaccine,
    including anyone who:

      - Has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects
        the immune system
      - Is being treated with drugs that affect the
        immune system, such as steroids, for 2 weeks or
        longer
      - Has any kind of cancer
      - Is taking cancer treatment with x-rays or drugs

  • People who recently had a transfusion or were
    given other blood products should ask their
    doctor when they may get chickenpox vaccine.

Ask your doctor or nurse for more information.


4. What are the risks from chickenpox vaccine?

A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing
serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions.
The risk of chickenpox vaccine causing serious
harm, or death, is extremely small.

Getting chickenpox vaccine is much safer than
getting chickenpox disease.

Most people who get chickenpox vaccine do not
have any problems with it.

Mild Problems

  • Soreness or swelling where the shot was given
    (about 1 out of 5 children and up to 1 out of 3
    adolescents and adults)

  • Fever (1 person out of 10, or less)

  • Mild rash, up to a month after vaccination (1
    person out of 20, or less). It is possible for these
    people to infect other members of their household,
    but this is extremely rare.

Moderate Problems

  • Seizure (jerking or staring) caused by fever (less
    than 1 person out of 1,000).

Severe Problems

  • Pneumonia (very rare)

Other serious problems, including severe brain
reactions and low blood count, have been reported
after chickenpox vaccination. These happen so rarely
experts cannot tell whether they are caused by the
vaccine or not. If they are, it is extremely rare.

5. What if there is a moderate or severe reaction?

What should I look for?

Any unusual condition, such as a serious allergic
reaction, high fever or behavior changes. Signs of a
serious allergic reaction can include difficulty
breathing, hoarseness or wheezing, hives, paleness,
weakness, a fast heart beat or dizziness within a
few minutes to a few hours after the shot. A high
fever or seizure, if it occurs, would happen 1 to 6
weeks after the shot.

What should I do?

  • Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right
    away.

  • Tell your doctor what happened, the date and
    time it happened, and when the vaccination was
    given.

  • Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to
    file a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System
    (VAERS) form. Or call VAERS yourself at
    1-800-822-7967 or visit their website at
    http://www.vaers.org.

6. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

In the rare event that you or your child has a
serious reaction to a vaccine, a federal program has
been created to help you pay for the care of those
who have been harmed.

For details about the National Vaccine Injury
Compensation Program, call 1-800-338-2382 or visit
the program's website at http://www.hrsa.gov/osp/vicp

7. How can I learn more?

  • Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you
    the vaccine package insert or suggest other
    sources of information.

  • Call your local or state health department's
    immunization program.

  • Contact the Centers for Disease Control and
    Prevention (CDC):
      - Call 1-800-232-2522 (English)
      - Call 1-800-232-0233 (Espanol)
      - Visit the National Immunization Program's
        website at http://www.cdc.gov/nip

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH and HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Immunization Program

Vaccine Information Statement               |
Varicella
12/16/98
42 U.S.C. § 300aa-26J