What parents need to know about chickenpox vaccine

Chickenpox is a common disease, but its complications are very serious. It is very important to learn about the cause of the disease as well as how to prevent it.

To learn more about this disease and how to prevent it, aFamilyToday Health invites you to read the following article.

Benefits of getting the chickenpox vaccine

Many people often think that it is not necessary to vaccinate the  children with chickenpox because chickenpox is only a mild illness. In fact, some parents think it's better to expose your baby to chickenpox spontaneously so they can get sick and be immune.

However, most experts recommend the chickenpox vaccination for your child, and many preschools also require the child to be vaccinated against chickenpox. This is because:

* Chickenpox is not a simple disease. If your baby is sick, he or she may have an itchy, bullous rash with a fever and be very tired. If the bullae become infected, your baby will need to be treated with antibiotics. Bullous nodules can also leave permanent scarring, which can be unsightly. If you get chickenpox while in kindergarten, your baby will have to stay home for a week until all the water balloons have gone.

Chickenpox can be serious and even deadly. Complications of chickenpox include pneumonia and severe skin infections. Most of the deaths occurred in previously healthy people.

* Chickenpox vaccine helps to protect children from the risk of complications of the disease. If 2 doses are given in enough, it is about 98% effective in preventing the disease. Children who have been vaccinated will have only very mild symptoms, often including less than 50 bullae, no fever, and a shorter duration of illness.

* The chickenpox vaccine can help protect your child from an illness caused by the same virus, called shingles . 1 in 3 adults who have had chickenpox in the past will develop a deformed and very painful rash.

* Shingles occurs when the virus that causes chickenpox, which has entered and lurked in the central nervous system, is awakened and active again. People who have had the chickenpox vaccine can still get shingles, but the condition is much milder than those who have not been vaccinated.

The recommended number of doses is 2 doses and given at least 3 months apart.

Recommended age range

From 12 to 15 months old

From 4 to 6 years old (if injection is delayed).

The chickenpox vaccine can be made with the measles, mumps and Rubella vaccine in one nose, called the MMRV (Measles - Mumps - Rubella - Chickenpox) shot.

Who should not get the chickenpox vaccine?

Babies who have had a severe allergy to gelatin (found in foods such as green tea) or antibiotics should not get the chickenpox vaccine. If your child ever had a severe allergic reaction when getting chickenpox vaccine for the first time, a second shot should not be given.

- If your child has cancer or any other disease that affects his immune system, has had a recent blood transfusion, or is taking high-dose oral steroids (for example, to treat asthma), Your baby will need to be carefully assessed between the benefits and risks of getting this vaccine.

- Some children, when vaccinated with MMRV vaccine, have a high risk of high fever and seizures. If your child has a history of seizures or a family history of seizures, make sure your baby gets the MMR shot and chickenpox vaccine separately (not the MMRV combination shot).

Is the chickenpox vaccine a live vaccine?

The chickenpox vaccine is a live, reducing poison vaccine. The vaccine contains a live chickenpox virus but has been treated so that it is not as likely to cause illness as a normal virus. Instead, the virus is only able to replicate in the body's cells and causes the body to produce immunity. This helps the baby's body fight off if the chickenpox virus is actually infected.

What are the possible side effects?

About 20% of children will experience pain at the injection site. 10% of children may have a mild fever

In some cases, a child may exhibit mild illness. About 4% may get a mild rash (floating about 10 blisters like chickenpox)

Less than 1 in 2,500 children may develop febrile seizures (slightly higher with MMRV injection). Although febrile convulsions may sound frightening, they are doing little to harm to a child. Even so, get your baby to hospital right away if he has a seizure.

Serious allergic reactions rarely occur with vaccines. If your baby has any side effects from the chickenpox shot or any other vaccine, take him or her immediately to a medical facility for follow-up and treatment.

The above article has provided some important information about chickenpox. Hopefully this information will help you gain more knowledge in caring for your children!