1. What is the chickenpox vaccine?
The risk of chickenpox in adults is actually higher, but due to the effect of the chickenpox vaccine, the risk of chickenpox in adults has been greatly reduced.
The chickenpox vaccine protects almost all people who have been vaccinated from contracting chickenpox. Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which is made by weakening or attenuated vaccines.
The attenuated virus contained in vaccines is very virulent, does not cause disease, and although it usually does not cause disease, it can still stimulate the response of the body's immune system, which can provide immune protection for people who have been vaccinated.
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Second, why do I need to get the varicella vaccine?
Most people with chickenpox have a relatively mild condition and can recover within 5 to 10 days. But in a small group of people, it can be very serious and even life-threatening.
Chickenpox is at greatest risk of serious, life-threatening complications in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised populations, but anyone is at risk of serious complications, making it difficult to predict which populations will have serious consequences.
Chickenpox is highly contagious and can be spread through the air through direct contact, sneezing or coughing without vaccine protection, which is another reason why it is necessary to get the chickenpox vaccine.
In addition, exposure to fluids from chickenpox blisters can cause infection, so children with chickenpox need to leave school or kindergarten for a week or more until all the blisters are dry and crust.
Chickenpox can cause a rash that can usually form 200 to 500 blisters throughout the body, as well as headaches, coughs, and irritability, so even if the condition is mild, it can still be uncomfortable for 5 to 10 days.
Who should be vaccinated against chickenpox?
The varicella vaccine is recommended for all children under 13 years of age who have not had chickenpox, as is the vaccine for all adolescents and adults who have not been vaccinated against chickenpox.
If a patient has had chickenpox, vaccination is not required.
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4. How many times does the chickenpox vaccine need to be vaccinated?
The varicella vaccine is given in two doses.
Children should be given their first vaccination at 12 to 18 months of age and a second at age 4 years.
Older children and adults also need to be given twice, with an interval of 4 to 8 weeks between the first and second vaccinations.
5. Is there a risk of getting the varicella vaccine?
All medications have potential side effects, but the side effects of the chickenpox vaccine are usually mild, most commonly pain, redness, or swelling of the skin at the injection site. A small percentage of people develop a mild rash, usually around the injection site, and serious side effects are very rare.
Who should not be vaccinated against chickenpox?
Anyone who needs to be vaccinated against chickenpox, if they develop a more severe illness before vaccination, should wait until the condition has healed before getting vaccinated. In addition, anyone who has an allergic reaction to the first dose of vaccination should not have a second vaccination.
Other people who should not be vaccinated against chickenpox include:
Pregnant women, because the effect of the vaccine on the fetus is not known.
People who are allergic to gelatin can use a gelatin-free chickenpox vaccine.
People who are allergic to neomycin.
People with immune diseases.
People who receive high-dose steroid therapy.
Cancer patients receiving radiation or chemotherapy.
People who have received blood transfusions or received blood products within 5 months prior to vaccination.
Since there is a live virus in the chickenpox vaccine, will it cause chickenpox?
About 2% of children vaccinated against varicella develop very mild varicella, usually no more than 5 to 6 blisters.
People who have been vaccinated against chickenpox may also contract chickenpox in the future, but the condition is usually milder and recovers faster than that of unvaccinated people, the disease may progress differently from the usual scab pattern, and there may not be as much fluid in the blisters.
It is important to emphasize that after being vaccinated against chickenpox, up to 90% of people will not be infected with chickenpox again for life.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
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