Use of the Chickenpox Vaccine in Children
What is chickenpox? What about the new vaccine?
Who should receive the chickenpox vaccine?
Are there side effects?
Who should NOT receive the chickenpox vaccine?
Special Considerations for Children with Respiratory or Immunological Disorders
What is chickenpox? What about the new vaccine?
Chickenpox (varicella) is one of the most common childhood viral diseases . Chickenpox is highly contagious and can now be prevented with a safe and effective vaccine. Although chickenpox is usually mild, vaccinating children can prevent complications of severe chickenpox and reduce costs associated with children missing school and adults missing work. The chickenpox vaccine is very effective in preventing chickenpox. If children who are vaccinated do get chickenpox, they will generally have a much milder form of the disease.
Who should receive the chickenpox vaccine?
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the chickenpox vaccine for all children between 12 and 18 months who do not have a history of chickenpox.
- Healthy children between the age of 18 months to 13 years should also be immunized with a single dose at the earliest opportunity.
- Healthy adolescents over the age of 13 and young adults, who have no history of chickenpox, should receive two doses of the vaccine 4 to 8 weeks apart.
Are there side effects?
Most children do not experience any side effects from the chickenpox vaccine. For the few who do experience side effects they are usually mild and may include:
- a fever or a mild rash;
- soreness, swelling, redness or stiffness where the shot was given.
- Some children may experience a mild rash elsewhere on the body, tiredness, fussiness or nausea.
(A rash on the body may indicate that the child has developed chickenpox.)
Who should NOT receive the chickenpox vaccine?
Although the chickenpox vaccine is very safe and effective for use in healthy children, there are certain groups of people who should not receive the vaccine.
- The chickenpox vaccine should not be given to children with immune systems weakened by disease or by medications.
- The chickenpox vaccine should not be given to pregnant women and pregnancy should be avoided for one to three months after receiving the vaccine.
- Individuals with an allergy to neomycin, gelatin or other ingredients in the vaccine should not be immunized with the chickenpox vaccine.
- Individuals with moderate to severe illnesses should not receive the vaccine.
Talk with your doctor if your child falls into any of the high risk groups listed above.
Special Considerations for Children with Respiratory or Immunological Disorders
Children being treated with oral corticosteroids and/or immune globulin for respiratory or immunological disorders require special consideration when administering the chickenpox vaccine.
Oral Corticosteroids: Varicella vaccine should not be given to individuals on high doses of oral corticosteroids (2 mg/kg/day) for more than one month. According to general guidelines, children may be immunized after steroid use at this dosage has been discontinued for three months. However, most experts agree that vaccination after one month or more of discontinuation of steroid use is safe and acceptable. If at all possible, discontinuing systemic steroids for two to three weeks after immunization is suggested. Experts agree that immunization of children on inhaled steroids do not put them at an increased risk of disease from the chickenpox vaccine.
Immune Globulin: As with other live viral vaccines, varicella vaccines should not be administered within at least five months after receipt of any form of immune globulin or other blood product.
Talk to your doctor or nurse about the chickenpox vaccine. The vaccine is safe and effective in preventing this common childhood disease.
This information has been approved by Carl White, MD (January 2005).
