Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Varicella (Chickenpox) Vaccination
Varicella (chickenpox) is a highly contagious disease that is very uncomfortable and sometimes serious. The chickenpox vaccine is the best protection against chickenpox. The vaccine is made from weakened varicella virus that produces an immune response in your body that protects you against chickenpox. The chickenpox vaccine was licensed for use in the United States in 1995. Since then, the vaccine has become widely used. Thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, the number of people who get chickenpox each year as well as hospitalizations and deaths from chickenpox have gone down dramatically in the United States.
- What Everyone Should Know
Vaccine basics for adults and for parents of infants and children - Information for Health Care Professionals
Vaccine recommendations and contraindications; composition, dosage, and administration; handling and storage
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Content last reviewed on April 5, 2012
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases