Chicken pox vaccine

The varicella vaccine protects against Chickenpox Immunization Schedule The varicella vaccine is given as a shot when kids are between 12 and 15 months old. They get a booster shot for further protection at 4 to 6 years of age. Kids who are older than 6 but younger than 13 who have not had chickenpox or the vaccine should get the 2 doses given 3 months apart. Kids 13 years or older should get their 2 vaccine doses 1 to 2 months apart. Sometimes the varicella vaccine is given in combination with the vaccine for Why Is the Chickenpox Vaccine Recommended? Chickenpox used to be common in the US, causing many hospitalizations and even deaths. Since the vaccine was introduced in 1995, it has prevented millions of infections every year. It prevents severe illness in almost all kids who are vaccinated. It's also very effective in preventing mild illness. Vaccinated kids who do get chickenpox generally have a mild case. If a person with no immunity to the virus is exposed to someone with chickenpox or shingles, they are likely to get infected because the virus is so contagious. Giving the vaccine within 3 to 5 days after exposure can help to prevent the infection. Possible Risks of Chickenpox Immunization Possible mild effects are tenderness and redness where the shot was given, fever, tiredness, and a varicella-like illness. There is a very small chance of an allergic reaction with any vaccine. A rash can happen up to 1 month after the injection. It may last for several days but w...

Pick any adult out of a crowd. The odds that they have had chickenpox are pretty good. But those odds are changing now that we have the What Is the Chickenpox Vaccine? The chickenpox vaccine is a shot that can protect nearly anyone who receives the vaccine from catching chickenpox. It's also called the varicella vaccine, because chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus. The vaccine is made from a live but weakened, or attenuated, virus. Viruses that have been attenuated are less virulent than viruses that are not. Although the virus in the chickenpox vaccine is generally incapable of causing a disease, it still stimulates a response from the body's immune system. That response is what gives someone who's had a shot for chickenpox immunity or protection from the illness. Why Do People Need a Chickenpox Vaccine? Most cases of chickenpox are relatively mild and run their course in five to 10 days. But it can be very serious, even life-threatening, in a small percentage of people. Before the varicella vaccine was licensed in the U.S. in 1995, there were approximately 100 deaths and more than 11,000 hospitalizations a year from chickenpox. The risk of serious, life-threatening complications is greatest among infants, elderly adults, and people with weakened immune systems. But anyone can develop serious complications and there is no way to predict who will. There's another reason for getting a shot for chickenpox. The illness is highly contagious and without the vacci...

• DTaP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular • DTaP-IPV: Diphtheria, tetanus, toxoids, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliovirus vaccine (Quadracel, Kinrix) • DTP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and whole-cell pertussis vaccine • DT: Pediatric diphtheria and tetanus vaccine, usually used for for kids too young to get a Td • HepA: Hepatitis A vaccine (Havrix and Vaqta) • HepB: Hepatitis B vaccine • HepB-IPV: Hepatitis B and inactivated poliovirus vaccine • Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type B conjugate vaccine • HPV: Human papillomavirus vaccine • HPV2: Bivalent HPV vaccine (Cervarix) • HPV4: Quadrivalent HPV vaccine • HPV9: Noavalent HPV vaccine (Gardasil) • IPV: Inactivated poliovirus vaccine • IIV: Inactivated influenza vaccine • IIV3: Inactivated influenza vaccine, trivalent • IIV4: Inactivated influenza vaccine, quadrivalent • LAIV: Live, attenuated • MenB: Serogroup B meningococcal vaccines (Bexsero and Trumenba) • MMR: Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine • MMRV: Measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine (ProQuad) • MCV4: Quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menactra and Menveo) • MPSV4: Menningococcal polysaccaride vaccine (quadrivalent) • MPSV4: Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune) • OPV: Oral polio vaccine • PCV: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar) • PCV7: Seven valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 7) • PCV13: 13 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar 13) • PPSV23: Pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine ( • Rota: Rotavirus vaccine •...

The • Chickenpox is the primary infection (when a person gets varicella for the first time). • After someone has chickenpox, the varicella virus stays dormant in the body. • People get shingles when the varicella virus reactivates. • The shingles rash is usually on one side of the body and is more painful than chickenpox. • Shingles typically occurs in older adults or people with weakened immune systems. How Long Is Chickenpox Contagious? You're contagious with chickenpox from one to two days before the rash appears until all the blisters have crusted over. You are most contagious during the two days before the rash through the first several days of the rash. Experts recommend quarantining (avoiding contact with others) until all the blisters have crusted over. Because the blisters come in waves, it typically takes 10 to 14 days for this to occur. Quarantining helps prevent the spread of the virus to others, which is especially important for those at higher risk for complications (pregnant people, newborns, and people with weakened immune systems). When caring for someone with chickenpox, you can take extra precautions to help prevent the spread, including: • Washing your hands frequently (for 20 seconds or more) • Not scratching (this can break blisters, and the fluid is contagious) • Not sharing personal items • Disinfecting surfaces • Getting a postexposure vaccination (if you are not immune) • Wearing an N95 mask (especially for those at high risk) Do not give children...

If you're at high risk of complications For people who are at high risk of complications from chickenpox, providers sometimes prescribe medicines to shorten the length of the illness and to help lower the risk of complications. If you or your child is at high risk of complications, your provider may suggest antiviral medicine to fight the virus, such as acyclovir (Zovirax, Sitavig). This medicine may lessen the symptoms of chickenpox. But they work best when given within 24 hours after the rash first appears. Other antiviral drugs, such as valacyclovir (Valtrex) and famciclovir, also might make the illness less severe. But these may not be approved or right for everyone. In some cases, your provider may suggest that you get the chickenpox vaccine after you've been exposed to the virus. This can prevent the disease or help make it less severe. Treating complications If you or your child gets complications, your provider will figure out the right treatment. For example, antibiotics can treat infected skin and pneumonia. Brain swelling, also called encephalitis, is often treated with antiviral medicine. Treatment in the hospital may be needed. Lifestyle and home remedies To help ease the symptoms of mild chickenpox, you can follow these self-care tips. Try not to scratch Scratching the skin can cause scarring and slow healing. It also can raise the risk that the sores will get infected. If your child can't stop scratching, trim your child's fingernails. It also may help to pu...

Before the chickenpox vaccine was made available in 1995, the infection was common. In the early 1990s, about 4 million people were diagnosed, more than 10,000 were hospitalized, and 100–150 people died each year due to chickenpox. The vaccine is now widely available and has prevented 3.5 million people from becoming infected, 9,000 from being hospitalized, and 100 people from dying each year. There are two chickenpox vaccines approved for use in the United States: When used to prevent chickenpox (before there is a concern of possible exposure), the timing of the doses depends on at what age you received the first dose. Babies who get the first dose of the vaccine when they are between 12 months old and 15 months old will get a second shot between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. Who Should Get the Chickenpox Vaccine? The chickenpox vaccine is a routine childhood vaccination recommended for all children. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all healthy people get the vaccine. The only exception would be for people who have evidence of immunity, which can include: One version of the vaccine may be given if someone suspects they may have been exposed to chickenpox as postexposure prophylaxis (after exposure to the virus) to reduce the risk of infection. This is recommended for unvaccinated, healthy people 12 months or older who do not have evidence of immunity to prevent the disease. For maximum effectiveness, it must be administered within f...

In 1998, an 8-year-old girl was seen in the Emergency Department of a hospital. For several days she had low-grade fever and blisters appearing over her entire body. The girl had chickenpox. At first her mother was relieved at the diagnosis. Chickenpox is, after all, a mild infection. But then the child had progressive difficulty breathing. Her breathing became rapid, shallow and difficult. A chest X-ray showed that she had pus between her lungs and chest wall (called an "empyema"). The pus caused one lung to be constricted. The child was admitted to the intensive care unit, but it was too late. She died the next day. Before the chickenpox vaccine,one or two childrenin this country would die every week from chickenpox — most of these children were previously healthy. What is chickenpox? Chickenpox is an infection caused by the varicella virus, and it is highly contagious. It can spread in one of three ways: by coughing or sneezing, physical contact with broken blisters, or by virus particles from the blisters that are sprayed in the air. The rash of chickenpox begins as red bumps that turn into blisters that cover the entire body. As many as 300-500 blisters can occur during a single infection. Chickenpox is usually a relatively benign infection. However, chickenpox infections can have severe complications. About 1 of every 1,000 children infected with varicella will develop severe pneumonia (infection of the lungs) or encephalitis (infection of the brain). In addition, ab...