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Expert Q&A
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| By David L. Fay, M.D. Family Physician Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program | ||
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My daughter is 15 months old and she is going for her well child check up tomorrow and I am concerned about the chicken pox vaccine. What are the adverse reactions with this vaccine, and at what age do they recommend this vaccine?
Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine appears to be very safe. In the only randomized, controlled clinical trial conducted in children, 1 percent of vaccine recipients developed injection site rash and 3 percent of vaccine recipients developed generalized rash. These rashes had an average of two to five lesions and were likely not to be blisters. The incidence of fever did not differ between the vaccination and placebo groups. Experience with more than 11 million doses shows that in approximately two per 100,000 doses given serious adverse events such as seizures, encephalitis (brain infection), pneumonia, anaphylaxis (allergic reaction) and death have occurred.
The vaccine is recommended for infants between 12 and 18 months of age. It is not yet known if a booster will be required later in life.