Chicken Pox

Chicken Pox

Another immunisation which is given routinely in the USA where this illness has been eradicated because of the immunisation policy. This disease can cause an initial encephalitis and cerebellitis chest and ear infection. In the longer term the illness tends to worse with age and children who have had chickenpox are at lifelong risk of shingles which can be extremely debilitating. If a mother has not had chickenpox in the first 3 month of her pregnancy then her child is at risk of developing congenital infection.

For these reasons I recommend vaccinating against chickenpox after the age of 1 year. Children between 4 and 6 years of age should be given a second dose of the vaccine, as well as any other individual who has previously been given one dose.

It is a live vaccine and it should be separated from any other live vaccine at least 1 month.

The vaccine used is called VARIVAX and is made by Merck Sharp and Dohme. The company licensed to sell VARIVAX in the UK is Sanofi Pasteur MSD Ltd.

Possible side effects of VARIVAX:

As with any vaccine, VARIVAX can have side effects.

Very common side effects are pain at the injection site and fever.

Much less commonly (1:100) may develop a chickenpox like illness with spots often appearing around injection site.