What
do we know about the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine?
The vaccine was licensed in 1995. It is 85% effective in
preventing chickenpox. It almost always protects against severe
chickenpox disease.
Before chickenpox vaccine was available, about 11,000 persons with
chickenpox had to go to the hospital each year. From 1990 through
1996, about 103 deaths from chickenpox was reported each year. In
1996, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended
routine vaccination of all children at age 12--18 months, catch-up
vaccination of all children who had not had the disease before age
13 years, and vaccination of anyone who had not had chickenpox who
was in close contact with persons at high risk for serious complications
from chickenpox. (MMWR September 19, 2003 / 52(37);884-885).
For more information on the vaccine, visit the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/varicella/default.htm
How long does the vaccine protect someone against chickenpox?
Research has shown that protection has lasted as long
as the vaccinated persons have been studied so far (25 years in
Japan, 10 years in the U.S.) More studies are being done.
Can you still get chickenpox disease if you have had the
shot?
After vaccination, about 1 in 10 persons do not develop
enough protection to completely prevent them from getting chickenpox
disease. If they come in close contact with a person with chickenpox,
they may develop a mild case of chickenpox with less than 50 blisters.
(This kind of chickenpox is called breakthrough disease.) It will
usually last only a few days, with no or low fever and few other
symptoms. They may miss no school or 1-2 days of school.
These children should stay home until the blisters have formed scabs
or if there are no blisters present, until no new spots or bumps
are forming.
What are the child care/school entry requirements?
More than 20 states have requirements to enter child care and school.
Many more are in the process of enacting requirements.
For California
requirements in English or Spanish , click on the links below:
English-imm705.pdf
Spanish-imm705s.pdf
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