Chickenpox - Varicella Vaccination
Chickenpox is a common illness that is normally contracted in childhood. Typically, symptoms are mild and self-resolving without the need for treatment, however, its characteristic itchy rash can be distressing and uncomfortable.
Infection is often more serious for people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, or for adults who didn’t catch the virus when they were a child. Serious complications include encephalitis and pneumonia, both of which are life-threatening conditions that require hospitalisation.
Chickenpox is usually mild and clears up in about a week.
However, it is highly contagious and spreads through physical contact as well as airborne particles. For this reason, it is important to reduce physical contact with as many people as possible to reduce the spread of infection. That means not going to work, school or nursery.
You will need to do this until all blisters have fully scabbed over, which is usually 5-7 days but it can take longer.
Chickenpox is no longer inevitable, thanks to the Varicella vaccine, which prevents it altogether.
An infection with Varicella, the virus that causes chickenpox, usually provides life-long immunity and it is rare for people to get the illness twice.
After recovery, however, the virus lies dormant in the body and will sometimes reoccur when the immune system is compromised. This is called Shingles, and is much more common in older people. There is a separate vaccination that protects against Shingles, called Shingrix – read more about it here.
What are the symptoms of Chickenpox?
The Varicella virus typically causes flu-like illness; with fever and a characteristic, itchy rash.
The rash can occur anywhere on the body, but it tends to start on the chest, back or face, before spreading more widely in waves.
As the illness progresses, spots turn to blisters that eventually crust over to form scabs. It is possible to see all three stages of the rash occurring at the same time.
Even a minor rash can make a person feel miserable due to how itchy it is, and scarring is common.
How many doses of the Chickenpox vaccine are required?
Two doses, normally given 4 weeks apart. This gap is longer for infants under the age of 12 months.
At what age can you get the chickenpox vaccine?
The chickenpox vaccine is usually given from the age of 12 months.
Earlier vaccination is possible in special circumstances, such as an outbreak at nursery.
Adults can also receive the vaccine, but we would recommend a blood test first to check if you had an asymptomatic infection as a child.
Is the Chickenpox vaccine available on the NHS?
Currently the Chickenpox vaccine is not available on the NHS.
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended its use in the national childhood immunisation schedule, but it is unclear if, and when this will happen.
In countries like the USA and Australia, children are routinely vaccinated. This has been the case for around 20 years.
How does Chickenpox spread?
Chickenpox is spread by inhaling droplets spread by an infected person (through coughing, sneezing, talking etc) or by physical contact.
People with chickenpox become contagious about 2 days before the appearance of a rash, which can make it difficult to avoid becoming infected.
How does the Chickenpox vaccine work?
Chickenpox vaccine contains live, weakened virus that stimulates immunity to varicella-zoster virus and protects against chickenpox.
It stimulates immunity through the production of antibodies which will help fight the virus if you are exposed to it.
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We booked, we arrived and we had our vaccines. Everything as expected. What really stood out was the level of medical advice from the nurse giving us our injections. It was explained very clearly to us to the level of protection our vaccine would give. As this was a new vaccine the results of medical trials were also highlighted. There was no push to sell more products, just clear advice on what to avoid and what to do to prepare for our trip to the Far East.
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FAQs
Your child’s vaccination history is recorded in a red book and so that we can keep their vaccination records accurate and up to date, we would recommend that you bring it with you to your appointment. Although, rest assured, if you forget it, we can still see you and vaccinate your child without it.
Yes they can. The vaccine is recommended for anyone who has never had chickenpox or been previously vaccinated.
1 single dose of the Varicella vaccine is 85% effective at preventing any form of chickenpox and almost 100% effective at preventing severe chickenpox. 2 doses of the Varicella vaccine is 98% effective at preventing any form of chickenpox and 100% effective at preventing severe chickenpox.
The most common side effect of chickenpox vaccine is soreness around the injection site. A mild rash may also develop in 10% of vaccinated children but this is nothing compared to the itchy rash from catching chicken pox itself.
Although varicella is a live vaccine, it contains a weaker version so that the vaccine doesn’t cause disease.
The chickenpox vaccination can be given to both children and adults. Chickenpox is more serious in adults but even a child will suffer unnecessarily if they catch chickenpox. As it is preventable, it makes sense to get vaccinated.
If you or your child has recently been exposed to a person with chickenpox, and have not had chickenpox in the past, there may be some benefit to being vaccinated. Early vaccination may prevent the disease appearing or may make it less serious. The vaccine will also protect you from future exposure to chickenpox.
We can perform a blood test to check your immunity (results available within 24 hours) – many individuals who are concerned about possible exposure turn out to be already immune.
Chickenpox vaccines contain a live virus, and therefore should not be given to individuals who have reduced immunity (e.g. as a result of HIV, or cancer chemotherapy) or during pregnancy. If other live vaccines are also needed, they should be administered on the same day or with a gap of at least one-month between them for optimal efficacy. We will be happy to advise you in more detail when you attend.
The chickenpox vaccine is not part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule offered by the NHS. It is only currently offered to people who are in close contact with someone who is particularly vulnerable.
Most vaccines take a few weeks to become effective because this is how long the body takes to produce a sufficient amount of antibodies in order to fight infection.
As the varicella vaccine is a live vaccine, we can presume that immunity will be long-lasting, which is typical for live vaccines. However, it is not currently known how long that protection would be. Several studies have shown a vaccinated person held antibodies 10-20 year after vaccination.
