Chicken Pox Vaccine

The chicken pox used to be an itchy rite of passage for young kids. But now that we have a chicken pox vaccine, we can put down the Calamine lotion.

The chicken pox vaccine, or varicella vaccine, is administered to a child twice: once between the ages of 12 to 18 months and then when the child is between the ages of 4 and 6.

It is a live vaccine, and it is given through a shot. Side effects are generally mild and include soreness, redness, or a rash at the injection site. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

Who should get the chicken pox vaccine? Children and adults who have not yet had the disease, as chicken pox can cause shingles and pneumonia. People with suppressed immune systems and those allergic to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin (as well as those who have had a reaction to the varicella vaccine in the past) should not be immunized.

Have you had issues with the chicken pox vaccine? Do you think kids should get the chicken pox "naturally?" Share here!