Chickenpox is a highly contagious airborne disease, which means the infection can easily spread using the atmosphere as its carrier to affect any person in close proximity or even in the general area of the person who has been infected with the virus.
The infection is a result of Varicella-Zoster virus, and the disease results in the formation of itchy skin, rashes, and blisters throughout the body. Common areas for the infection to start spreading includes the chest, back, and face with the infection slowly but persistently covering the entire body with rashes.
Varicella vaccine, more commonly known as chickenpox vaccine, is used to ensure the infection is kept at bay and is generally administered to young toddlers and a second dosage is recommended for children who are five years old in many countries.
However, even after the initial immunization, the chances of getting affected by the virus is a possibility. In many cases, a person may suffer from chickenpox once in his or her lifetime. This is the reason why two doses of chickenpox vaccine is administered early to counter the effects of both moderate and severe development of the disease.
The chickenpox vaccine is one of the most important immunizations to be given to young children after it became commercially available in 1984, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the immunization is mandatory and often done free of cost in many countries worldwide, in the US, the chickenpox vaccine can cost anywhere between a couple of hundred dollars.
Here are some interesting facts about the chickenpox vaccine:
- It is recommended that two doses of the vaccination should be given to children. The first dose is administered when the child is between the ages of 12 to 15 months, and the second shot is administered between the ages of 4 to 6 years.
- There are no severe side effects of the vaccination as such. Mild ones include some soreness, swelling, mild fever, etc.
- The vaccination is, however, not recommended for people who are immunocompromised. People who are suffering from immunodeficiency are often immunocompromised which means they have an impaired immune system that renders their ability to ward off and fight common diseases as useless.
- Pregnant women cannot be administered with the chickenpox vaccine if ever a need arises for the third dose. However, two doses in most cases are successful in curbing the infection.
- The chickenpox vaccine also reduces the chances of a person developing shingles, compared to those who have suffered from the disease.
- Immunity plays a key role for both people who have been or not have been affected by the virus, and for people who have or not received the recommended dosage of chickenpox vaccine. The relationship of your immune system with the frequency and effectiveness of the immunization is inverse; this means that the risk of adults getting chickenpox when their immunity begins to diminish is higher, with age being the number one factor.
- There are severe health complications that can be associated with chickenpox with some cases that result in the development of pneumonia or encephalitis, which can be fatal.